Zootopia: At Our Core
by Granteed
Summary: One year after the incident that nearly divided the city of Zootopia in half, Judy and Nick have been making the best of their time as partners on the ZPD. Though things have been relatively quiet since then, the agenda of a new activist group coupled with an apparent resurgence of assaults threatens to throw the city into a panic once more.
1. Chapter 1

" _Good morning and welcome to the start of another fabulous day in Zootopia! I'm Peter Moosebridge."_

" _-And I'm Catty Snowric. And this is ZNN with the morning news."_

" _Our top story of the morning. Officials have come to a decision in regards to the cases of of unlawful imprisonment by Leodore Lionheart during the Night Howler incident three months ago. After much debate, officials announced that the former Mayor will serve no extended jail time and further charges will be dropped due to his cooperation and testimony following his initial arrest. Supporters for the former Mayor have already began lobbying to get him reinstated back into office. More information on the matter is planned to be revealed during a press conference with Mr. Lionheart later this afternoon."_

" _In related news, a new Prey Rights Activist group has petitioned for the release of former Assistant Mayor/Mayor, Dawn Bellwether. The group, calling themselves PAPA, held a peaceful protest rally outside of the Zootopia Central Prison. According to PAPA's leader, Charles Hornsby, Bellwether should be excused of all charges due to-"_

There was a _'beep'_ followed by a short clatter as Nick's paw finally hit the off switch on the radio next to his bed. It was 7AM and the morning news report had served as his alarm for the last three months. With a yawn, the fox sat up in his small bed as he stretched his arms, twisting his back slightly to work out the kinks that had built up over the night. Scratching his stomach, he groggily looked over at the clock as his sleepy mind processed the time. 7:05AM. Even though it had been three months already, he still wasn't fully used to getting up so early. Actually, he usually got up even earlier than this, normally setting his alarm for 6:30 instead. But this morning he had felt like sleeping in just a little bit. Back before he had joined the force he had pretty much gotten up whenever he felt like it. Not to say he lazed around all day, especially when there was money to be made, but as long as he was up and ready to go in time to meet Finnick and catch the lunch rush things were fine. That was the prime time to make money.

But those days were behind him now. He had an actual job now, and it wasn't something he had ever expected to do prior to meeting a certain bunny several months ago. Speaking of which…

 _Thump, thump, thump!_

"Nick? Are you up?"

Even though he was in his room his keen hearing allowed him to pick up on the rapid knocking and familiar voice that came from outside the front door to his apartment. Honestly he wasn't even sure why he had an alarm. His partner was always there to wake him up first thing in the morning anyway. He looked to the bedside stand. Next to his clock sat a police badge that shone in the morning light streaming through the window. A fond smile slowly spread across his snout at the sight of it. And then he saw the time. 7:10AM.

"Oh crap!"

The normally relaxed fox gave a start as he realized he had slept in longer than he had meant to. Normally he got up at 6:30 which gave him enough time to shower and get dressed before meeting Judy outside at 7. It was about a 30 minute drive to the station taking into account the morning traffic. Briefing for the day was at 8AM sharp, and Bogo didn't tolerate anyone being late. He'd have to skip the shower and settle on a quick wash-up instead, but even that was going to be cutting it close. There was another series of knocks at the front door followed by a series of quieter, more rapid thumps. He could already picture his partner thumping her foot impatiently while waiting for him. Of course she could have just on her own. There was no reason for both of them to be late. But there was no way she would ever leave him behind to take the heat alone. That was just the kind of friend Officer Judy Hopps was.

Which just made him feel even more guilty for sleeping in.

"I'll be right there! Just hang on a second!" Nick called out as he scrambled out of bed. He tried to keep his voice as calm and composed as possible despite shouting, not wanting his friend to think she had caught him at a bad time. Even around his friend he had an image to uphold, after all. In short order he made his way to the bathroom, brushing his teeth and smoothing out his fur the best he could in what had to have been a personal record. His clothes were next, but thankfully he had already ironed his uniform and laid it out the night before to save time in the mornings. Hardly ten minutes had passed since he had told Just to hang on, and already he was fully-dressed and looking himself over in a mirror. Everything looked to be in place. Despite being pressed for time, the fox still found a moment to smoothen the fur on his ears and give his reflecting a smug grin. Looking good and ready to go, as always. He glanced at the clock once more as he went to grab his badge and shades from the bedstand. 7:20. They would just barely make it if they left in the next few minutes, though they would have to skip out on stopping for breakfast. Oh well, he'd make it up to her by buying lunch on their break. He doubted she would hold it against him anyway. After double checking to make sure he had everything, Nick walked to the door with his usual swagger and smug expression, already back to his normal composure.

It was time to start the day.

Opening the door he was greeted by the sight of a grey bunny with her paw raised in mid-knock. Upon seeing the door open she lowered it quickly, opting to cross her arms and glare up at him impatiently. "What took you so long? We're going to be late!" She reprimanded him sternly, like a mother scolding a child for not getting up in time to catch the school bus. Nick matched her glare with his usual smile, betraying no signs that he had hastily gotten dressed or had ever been flustered. "Easy, Carrots. Your little bunny heart will give out." Nick grinned with one of his usual jokes, causing Judy's nose wrinkle in slight annoyance. If it had been anyone else she probably would have been a lot more offended, but they had reached the point where they could take jabs like this at each other in private. "I don't want to hear that from a lazy fox." She shot back without missing a beat, expression loosening up slightly. It was admittedly hard to stay upset at the fox over anything, especially when she probably knew him better than anyone else. Feeling a bit of regret for cutting it so close, Nick reached up and scratched at the collar of his uniform, a somewhat apologetic look on his face. "Yeah, my bad. Looks like I accidentally dropped my badge under the bed last night and had a little trouble finding it this morning. Sorry." He quickly whipped up a small lie to explain his lateness, not willing to simply admit he had slept in. Judy stared at him closely with her large, purple eyes, examining him like a suspect she had brought in for interrogation. "Something on my face, Carrots?" Nick asked with a smirk, poker face not faltering for a second. There was no way she was going to be able to pin anything on him, right?

"Bend down."

"Huh?"

The fox's smile dropped at the sudden command. He had thought he had heard wrong, but Judy quickly repeated the command once more causing him to raise a brow in confusion. "What's this about, Carrots?" He asked a bit cautiously, not sure what his partner had in store for him.

"Just do it already so we can get going!"

Judy said with a bit of exasperation. Realizing she wasn't going to fold until he complied the fox slowly knelt down a bit so the two of them were roughly on an even level. For a moment Just just stared at him silently. Just as he was starting to ask again what she wanted, she interrupted him by reached out and grabbing his collar., causing his eyes to widen slightly.

"What're you-"

Nick started to speak, but as he felt Judy's paws rustling around the collar of his uniform he realized what the bunny was doing. There the sound of fabric sliding together followed by a slight tightness around his neck. Judy stepped back with a satisfied smile as she examined her handiwork. Apparently he had forgotten to tighten his tie all the way in his hurry to get ready. Nick smiled back at his partner as he stood up again.

"What would I ever do without you?"

"You'd probably still be in bed."

Nick stiffened as his partner winked knowingly at him. So she had figured it out after all. Instead of teasing him about it more, the bunny turned around quickly before making her way down the hall with a bounce in her step.

"Hurry up! We can't be late!"

She called back, halfway down the hall by the time he started following her. Now that her back was turned, Nick reached a paw up to loosen his tie a bit again.

"I'm coming. Didn't we just talk about slowing down before you give yourself a heart attack?"

As he followed after his partner he moved a little faster than his normal, relaxed gait. But only a little.

* * *

"Can you believe Lionheart is really trying to get himself reinstated as Mayor? You'd think he would want to lay low for a while after what he did."

Nick listened to Judy as they cruised down the streets in their patrol car. The window was rolled down and the wind felt good going through his fur as the buildings they passed were reflected off the lens of his shades. He had tried to convince Judy to let him drive on several occasions, but it was something she was surprisingly stubborn about. He figured it must have been some kind of complex even though there wasn't a huge difference in their heights. Oh well, it meant he got to relax as they drove around which was fine by him.

It was almost 9AM and they had left the station about a half hour ago after getting their assignment for the day. They had barely made it with a minute to spare, and although Bogo had given them a stern look for walking into the room at almost the same time he did, there wasn't anything he could do since they technically hadn't been late. They had been handed their assignment and sent off for the day until it was time to report back later in the afternoon. Unfortunately there wasn't much going on so all they had gotten was patrol duty. It was better than being on parking duty at least, and hey, maybe they would run into something interesting. For the moment, however, things had been quiet. Well, relatively quiet anyway. Zootopia was a huge place and there was always _something_ going on. Even now while most animals were at work the streets were still fairly busy and crowded with animals going about their daily business. But they hadn't come across anyone breaking the law or committing any violations. Yet.

Nick's mind went back to the question Judy had asked. Her annoyance had been prompted by the radio which was reporting again on the decision regarding the Lionheart sandal they had exposed several months ago.

"I dunno. He was doing an okay enough job before the whole 'involuntarily imprisonment' thing. And you can't say he didn't have somewhat of a reason for it."

Judy glanced over at her partner, a bit surprised that he was defending the former Mayor.

"He still broke the law. And after everything he put the families of the victims through he deserves to stay in jail a lot longer!"

Nick had to suppress a chuckle at his partner's dedication. She was as straight edge as ever even though they had technically skirted the boundaries of the law several times themselves during the investigation into the missing animals from the Night Howler incident. She had come to open her eyes a bit more and realize Zootopia wasn't the perfect place she had thought it was, but the bunny was an upstanding officer through and through. Again, a few months ago, he never would have thought someone like this would be both his partner and best friend. But back to the matter at hand. He couldn't say he was necessarily defending Lionheart out of the goodness of his heart. In truth, the former Mayor was exactly the type of animal it was the most dangerous to trust; A politician. But if you stopped at thought about things from the lion's point of view, some of it did make sense.

"Well, he did keep some dangerous animals off the streets even if it was just to save his own hide. Imagine how many more animals would have gotten hurt if he just let them run free. And he was trying to find out the cause. Things could have been a lot worse."

Judy frowned at the logic of the fox's words. He was making sense but she wasn't ready to just wave everything away just like that. Mostly, because as Nick said, Lionheart had done it to cover his own tail and interests first and foremost.

"Still…"

She started to say but was cut off as Nick waved his paw.

"Let it go, Carrots. Guys like that have a ton of firepower on their side anyway. I'm actually surprised he wasn't let off the hook earlier. As far as most animal are concerned most of the blame is on Bellwether. No doubt Lionheart's going to play up the victim card during his press conference and make everyone feel sorry for him. Wouldn't surprise me if he's back in office by next week. That's just the way politics are."

Judy gripped the steering wheel tightly, her ears drooping until they lay almost flat on her back. Again she knew what Nick was saying made sense...but she hadn't completely given up on her goal to make the world a better place. It was hard to accept there were certain things you just couldn't change, even if you knew it was true. Nick glanced over at her, eyes hidden behind his shades. Her smile dropped as he saw the dejected look on his friend's face. Reaching a paw up, he raise his shades so they were resting on his forehead, his normally sly and confident eyes filled with warm sympathy for his friend.

"Don't let it get to you, Judy. We can't fix everything."

His gentle words caused one of her ears to swivel up like she had heard wrong. Nick rarely called her by her actual name unless he was really worried. She felt the tension and annoyance leaving her small body, replaced with a sense of gratefulness for her partner's words instead as she allowed herself a small smile.

"Thanks, Nick."

She said simply. The fox smiled as he let his shades fall over his eyes again before looking back out the window.

"Any time, Carrots."

A brief silence fell between them after that, only to be broken as Nick sat up in his seat suddenly, a wide grin on his face.

"We can't fix everything...But there are some things we can fix."

He motioned for Judy to pull over. They had left the main streets of the city and had been patrolling some of the back roads. The good things about having an ex-confox as a partner meant that he knew the regular haunts where most of the lawbreakers liked to hang out. And it looked like they had just hit the jackpot. A couple of leopards and a tiger had been gathered on a street corner. Upon seeing the police cruiser pull up and park across the street they gave a start before quickly walking off. Because of their size Nick and Judy couldn't see what they had been gathered around at first, but as they dispersed the two were greeted by a familiar face.

"Weaselton, Weaselton, Weaselton. I see you're working hard this morning."

Nick grinned as he and Judy strolled up to the wiry mammal. Upon seeing the two the weasel's face twisted in an expression of fear and disdain, like a naughty child caught writing on the wall.

"Duke Weaselton. _Duke_."

He corrected the fox with an annoyed growl. He tried to back away only to find that the two officers were quick to stand on either side of him and cut off any quick maneuvers. With a sigh he seemed to be resigned to his fate, letting his shoulders go slack. He knew personally how quick Judy was so trying to outrun her would just be an exercise in futility. He remained still a the two sized him up, though his eyes were darting back and forth frantically looking for any opportunity to make a break for it.

"So what're you up to today, Dukey? Finally decide to start an honest life?"

Nick continued to tease the small time criminal as Judy in the direction the leopards and tiger had went off in.

"That's rich comin' from you. You think you're better than me just because you have that suit?"

"A little bit, yeah. In the looks department, definitely."

The weasel sneered at Nick's smug answer. He looked over as Judy finally approached, eyeing him sternly.

"Why are you two always picking on me?"

He whined in an almost pitiful tone. Things hadn't been going well for him for months, especially not with these two seemingly always breathing down his neck. He didn't know if it was just bad timing or if they really were out to get him, but they always seemed to come across each other at the worst times.

"Because you're always up to something. Who were your friends?"

Judy asked as she nodded in the direction the others had disappeared off in. At the mention of them, Weaselton did a very bad job at trying to look nonchalant.

"Those guys? J-Just some buddies. Anything wrong with hanging out with some buddies?" He tried to play his nervousness off with a smile, but it was so transparent that Nick and Judy couldn't help but exchange a look before looking back at him. He bristled at their accusatory looks, fur raising as he went from being nervous to offended.

"Look, don't you two got a real job to do? Are you gonna' charge with me anything or what?"

The weasel gained a bit of bravado back when he realized they couldn't acoust him just for looking suspicious. He had dealt with the two enough at this point to know that. Nick and Judy both frowned a they exchanged another look. He was right. They hadn't actually caught him doing anything and didn't have enough reasonable cause to search him. So they had no choice but to let him go.

"We just stopped to say hi to our good friend. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Nick asked as his usual smug smile returned. Judy still looked suspicious but they had to back off for now. The small weasel puffed out his chest in triumph as the two stepped aside to let him by, feeling that he had won a great victory.

"Yeah, whatever. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have things to do-!?"

He had been smirking and looking over his shoulder as he walked off. Unfortunately he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going and stepped off the curb unexpectedly. Weaselton gave a small yelp as he fell forward, arms going out to try and catch himself but landing on his face anyway. Something flew out of his shirt and landed a short distance in front of him. With a painful groan he looked up, but upon seeing the object his eyes widened and he frantically tried to pick it up only to have Judy beat him to the punch, gingerly picking up a plastic bag by the edge with her nails so as not to get her prints on it.

"Well now. What's all this?"

Nick raised his shades with interest in his eyes as Judy held up a small, plastic bag. Inside of it was what appeared to be tiny bits of green and brown plants, almost like seasoning. Nick and Just were able to identify it instantly.

"Oh no...Weaselton. You're dealing Nip now? Should've stuck with bootlegs."

Nick 'tsked' with mock disappointment as he reached out to pull the weasel to his feet. Weaselton looked like he had swallowed something particularly nasty as he was busted, eyes narrowing as he watched Judy carefully bag the evidence before reaching for her cuffs.

"Where'd you get it, Weaselton?"

The bunny asked as Nick stepped aside to allow to pull the weasel's arms behind his back and attach the cuffs to them. Weaselton snarled as he spat out a response, turning his snout up like he was offended.

"I ain't tellin' you nothin'!"

His response was expected, and Nick only smiled as Judy began to march him towards the cruiser.

"That's fine. At this point you're under arrest for the illegal distribution and attempted sale of Nip. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you be the city of Zootopia. If for any reason you-"

Nick opened the door to the backseat as Judy read the weasel his rights. Before she could finish, however, there was a sudden crackle from the radios on their belts followed by a frantic voice.

" _All units respond. We have a reported 240 on North and Shed Avenue. I repeat, we have a reported 240 on North and Shed Avenue. Any nearby units proceed to the scene immediately and exercise caution! Suspect may be dangerous!"_

Nick's smile instantly dropped as he and Judy looked at each other. A 240...that was the code for aggravated assault. But in broad daylight? The incident with the Night Howlers was still fresh in everyone's mind, so depending on the parties involved this could potentially be even worse than it sounded.

"Heh. Sounds like you two have some urgent business to attend to. May as well just go ahead and let me go and I'll be on my-WHOA!"

Weaselton tried to take advantage of the situation only to cut off as Judy quickly pushed him into the backseat. Nick slammed the door before quickly running to the other side and getting into the passenger seat as Judy started the car. Sirens blaring, the cruiser quickly pulled out into the street and raced off to the reported crime scene.

* * *

Judy and Nick quickly arrived on the crime scene. A group of animals were standing on the side of the street surrounding someone. Upon hearing the sirens and seeing the two hop out of the car, they quickly parted to make a path so the two officers could get to the victim. The two were greeted by the sight of a female deer who looked to be in her late-20s laying on the ground.

"Back up! Give her space!"

Judy shouted to the ones who were still trying to get a good look in while Nick kneeled down next to the deer and looked her over. There were several gashes on her shoulder obviously caused by the claws of someone else. Blood matted her fur at the sight of the injuries but the wounds themselves didn't look especially deep. She wasn't in any danger of bleeding out in any case.

"Looks like she fainted. We need to call a bus."

Nick said grimly as Judy joined him. The bunny turned to look at the crowd, expression serious as she tried to meet their gaze.

"Did anyone see what happened?"

She asked urgently as Nick used his radio to call in medical assistance. The crowd mumbled amongst themselves for a moment. It had happened while the street was crowded and was over before anyone really knew what was going on. An elderly beaver finally shuffled forward, holding a grocery bag tight to her chest as she approached the officer.

"Ma'am, can you tell me what happened?"

Judy asked the beaver. The beaver thought for a moment before speaking carefully, and Judy could tell she was making a genuine effort not to give any false information.

"I didn't see the whole thing. I was coming out the store and she seemed to be talking with someone. They were waiting for the bus across the street. It was a jackal if I'm not mistaken. Or maybe a coyote? Forgive me, my eyes aren't what they used to be."

The beaver apologized as she tried to describe the suspect. Judy gave her a gentle smile to urge her on and encourage her.

"That's fine, ma'am. Anything you can remember helps. Do you know what they were talking about?"

The beaver thought for a moment before shaking her head sadly.

"I wasn't able to catch anything specifically, but it looked like she was whispering to him about something. I'm not sure what happened after that...it looked he reached for her and she tried to pull away, and then there was a scuffle and too many things happened at once. When things calmed down we saw the poor dear on the ground and someone called 911."

The beaver finished recounting her tale, giving another apologetic nod for not being able to remember things more clearly. Judy reached out and placed a paw on her shoulder with another smile.

"Thank you for your report, ma'am. We may need to question you further when back-up arrives so please stay put."

The beaver nodded as the bunny officer stepped back. She rejoined Nick just as he finished making his report over the radio.

"The ambulance should be here soon. It doesn't look like her life is in danger. Then again, I'm not a doctor."

The fox informed his partner as he looked over to her. Now that it didn't look like the victim was in danger of dying, he was beginning to relax a bit.

"Anyone see anything?"

He asked as he looked to the crowd. Judy nodded but kept her voice low as she answered.

"Yeah...according to an eyewitness it sounds like she got in an argument with someone and things turned violent. The suspect...is a predator."

Nick frowned at her answer. A predator attacking prey. Their worst fear had been confirmed. People still had the Night Howler incident in their minds and something like this was just the thing to flare up fears and tension again. Thankfully the attack wasn't as bad as it could have been, but they would have to find the suspect and apprehend them quickly before this got even more out of control.

"Get a description?"

The fox asked. Judy shook her head slowly as she looked around, ears twitching as she searched for any signs of evidence.

"No, but…"

She said slowly as her eyes narrowed. She was looking through the crowd like she was searching for someone. The onlookers were a mixture of curiosity and caution, wanting to see more yet not sure if they should stick around. No one in particular seemed to be out of place. By sheer coincidence she saw caught a flash of movement out of the side of her eye. Turning around fully she was just in time to see a patch of greyish-brown and bushy tail quickly vanish around the side of a building, as if someone had been watching and didn't want to be seen. It was suspicious enough to cause her instincts to kick in.

"We'll just have to wait for back-up and then-Hey! Carrots, where are you going!"

Nick had reached up to straighten his tie a bit when Judy suddenly took off down the street.

"Wait for the others to arrive! I think I saw something!"

The bunny called back before vanishing around the corner of a building apparently in pursuit of something or someone. Nick looked after her with disbelief and frustration. She seemed professional and by the books on the outside, but at the first sign of danger she was always the one to spring into action. It was admirable in a way, but he wished she would be more careful! He grabbed his radio and quickly relayed a message over the police channel.

"This is Officer Wilde of the ZPD at the scene of a reported assault on the corner of North and Shed. Officer Hopps is in pursuit of a suspect. I repeat, we have an officer in pursuit!"

As he waited for a response he looked in the direction his partner had run off in. Part of him wanted to take off after her but he couldn't leave the victim unattended until back-up arrived. Taking a deep breath he looked back to the unconscious deer as his tail flicked back and forth impatiently.

"Dammit, Judy….be careful."

He said under his breath, voice laced with worry for his partner.

* * *

Judy ran down the streets as fast as her legs would carry her. Way ahead of her she could make out another figure running at full speed, their tail trailing behind them like a flag. Their was some distance between them but even from where she was she could tell the animal she was pursuing was definitely some species of canine. Whether it was a jackal or a coyote she couldn't tell, but the fact that they had been peeping in on the crime scene and were now fleeing matched up with what the eyewitness had reported. She began to run faster. The suspect had a good headstart on her, but she hadn't graduated at the top of her class for nothing! Thankfully the suspect had taken to the back roads meaning there weren't that many other animals to get in her way. The gap between them was rapidly closing thank to her speed, and it wouldn't be long before she caught up.

"Don't even think about it!"

Judy allowed herself a smile of triumph as she saw the suspect try and duck into a nearby alley. Hah, they were only cornering themselves! She slowed down as she came up on the alley, heart pounding with adrenaline. Before turning the corner she reached to the holster on her side and pulled out her station-issued stun gun. Sliding a dial on the side, she set it to medium. Officers in the ZPD were allowed to carry a stun gun in order to subdue violent suspect. It had several settings on it for animals as small as moles to as big as an ox. For anything bigger than that...well, they would have to call in the big guns. Detectives and special forces were allowed to carry tranquilizer guns potent enough to take down even an elephant in one shot. But right now this was all she had. Hopefully she wouldn't have to actually use it…

Taking a deep breath, Judy held her weapon at the ready before quickly turning the corner and aiming it down the alley.

"Freeze!"

She commanded, expecting to see the suspect cornered with nowhere to go. Instead her eyes widened in confusion as she was greeted by the sight of the empty alley. Aside from a dumpster and a few pieces of stray trash, there was no one there. A tall fence was at the other end of the alley. She doubted they would have been able to scale it fast enough to get away without injuring themselves. Slowly she walked into the alley, stun gun held cautiously in case she needed to fire a shot. Where'd they go? Her eyes carefully scanned the alley even though it seemed like there was no one else there. Animals didn't just vanish into thin air. They had to be somewhere…

Judy's eye went to the dumpster. The smell of garbage was overpowering so she couldn't pick up on the scent of anything else. But this was the only place they could be. Lifting her gun, she pointed it at the dumpster as she approached it slowly.

"This is an officer of the ZPD. Come out with your paws up!"

The bunny demanded in a commanding tone. There was no answer, but that in itself was telling enough. She took another few cautious steps towards the dumpster, gun still pointed at it.

"I repeat. Come out with your paws up!"

The small officer demanded once more. There was a beat. And then another. Taking a breath despite the order, Judy began to take another step forward.

The lid to the dumpster suddenly burst open. A gasp of surprise left Judy's mouth as something leaped out and landed next to her before she could get a clear shot at it. She was knocked to the down but quickly regained her bearings, springing up in a flash and aiming her weapon in the direction of the suspect. But she watched in surprise as the suspect was halfway up the fence by the time she turned to face them. She watched as they quickly scrambled to the top before pulling themselves over and making their way to the ground. As they landed they turned to face her.

Just as the beaver had reported, it was a male jackal that looked to be in his early 20s. His chest was heaving quickly, probably from a mixture of adrenaline and fear, and his face was scrunched in an expression of panic. Judy raised her gun again even though the fence was in the way. With good enough aim she could probably hit him through the links. Before she could fire, however, their eyes met and she stayed her trigger finger. Something wasn't right.

"Judy!"

A voice called out from the entrance of the alleyway. The jackal gave a start before running off. Judy sighed as she returned her gun to its holster. There was no way she'd be able to scale the fence in time and catch up with the suspect now. Turning around she was greeted by the sight of Nick quickly running over to her. The fox looked her over carefully before letting out a sigh.

"Geeze, Carrots. Don't keep running off like that!"

He reprimanded her. Judy couldn't help but give him a teasing smile. Usually it was the other way around.

"Don't give yourself a heart attack. I'm fine."

She said jokingly, expecting Nick to reply back with a quip of his own. But the fox didn't smile.

"Come on. I know you were the top of your class, but still. Don't get me worried like that."

Her smile dropped at Nick's words. She knew her partner wasn't underestimating her and knew what she was capable of, but he was still concerned for her safety. It was just a testament to how much they had come to look out for each other over their time spent together.

"Sorry, but I thought I could catch him."

She apologized, ears drooping slightly. Nick rolled his eyes as he gave a sigh, but it looked like he forgave her.

"Well, you didn't. Oh boy...Bogo's going to love to hear about this."

He flicked one of her ears causing her to wrinkle her nose at him and swat his paw away.

"He sure does love out reports, doesn't he?"

Of course they had been the first officers to arrive on the scene which meant they had the pleasure of reporting to the Chief once they got back to the station. He always seemed tired of dealing with them even though they often produced results.

"Let's get going then. I have a feeling this is going to be a headache…"

Nick said as the two of them began to walk out the alley to rejoin the other officers that had arrived on the scene.

* * *

"Seriously, guys. Can't you let me go? You obviously have bigger things on your plate right now."

Weaselton tried to plead one last time as the two led him into the station. They had almost forgotten about the weasel until they had gotten back to their cruiser. Nick gave the weasel a quick clap on the back.

"Oh, don't worry about. Our good friend Officer McHorn will take care of you while we focus on those bigger things!"

The rhino officer snorted as the weasel was handed off to him to take to holding. With that done, Nick and Judy made their way over to the front desk where Clawhauser busy watching something on his phone. Pop music could be heard coming from the little device and it wasn't hard to figure out what he was doing. As they approached he looked away from the screen, a wide smile crossing his tubby face but then faltering slightly as he saw their expressions.

"Judy! Nick! Oh….rough morning?"

The cheetah cooed with pity as he looked at the two.

"It's actually been pretty interesting, all things considered. Drug lords...an assault….Too bad we didn't have time to take down that ring selling knock-off Preyda purses before checking back in. Guess we can look into that after lunch, eh, Carrots?"

Always one to joke, Nick looked over to Judy but the bunny seemed deep in thought. Something she had seen in the alley when she confronted the suspect was still on her mind. Before he could ask her about a loud and familiar voice echoed across the lobby.

"Hopps! Wilde! My office, now!"

They looked up the second floor to see Chief Bogo standing by the railing and glaring down at them.

"Geeze. We didn't even actually do anything wrong this time and he still seems mad. Oh well, let's get this over with, Carrots."

With a sigh the two began to head up to the second floor to give their report to the Chief.

* * *

"I just heard from the hospital that the victim isn't in any immediate danger. The wounds weren't deep enough to cause any lasting damage and they doubt the scars will even be visible under the fur. Janet Doe, age 25. She works in a call center downtown and doesn't have any record of ever being in trouble. Doesn't sound like the type of animal to provoke someone into an attack."

Nick and Judy sat across from the Chief as he gave them some more information on the victim. It sounded like she was going to be alright so they had nothing to worry about on that front. Though she hadn't woken up yet so no one had a chance to question her yet. Bogo looked at the two seated across from them with his usual stern expression, as if he were just waiting for a chance to blame something on them.

"Well? Did you get anything from the eye witnesses? They're usually not very reliable but if this was indeed a predator attack we need information we can get."

Nick looked over to Judy to answer the question. She had been the one to talk to the crowd, not him. The bunny nodded as she stood up on her chair so Bogo could better see her from over his desk.

"According to a witness I spoke to on the scene, Miss Vandamme, the two had apparently been engaged in conversation before the suspect allegedly lashed out on her. It's unknown what brought about the attack. She described him as a male jackal in his early twenties. I briefly confronted the suspect and can confirm that indeed seemed to be accurate. Unfortunately I was unable to apprehend him."

Judy reported in crisp order, recounting the details exactly as they happened. When she was finished, Bogo gave a sigh and leaned back in his chair.

"A predator attacking prey...the media is going to have a field day with this. Right after everyone was starting to calm down after the Night Howler fiasco too."

The Chief grumbled.

"You think someone still has access to Doug's formula?"

Nick asked. Bogo snorted as he shook his head.

"I doubt it. I can't say for sure we got all of them, but the entire city has been working to stop Night Howler distribution as much as possible. Even those sold for legally approved reasons require the purchaser to register their name in the system as a certified buyer. Chances of someone trying to cause attacks again is slim."

As Nick and Bogo mulled over it, Judy had gone silent for a moment as she thought back to her confrontation in the alley. Looking up she began to speak again.

"It's not Night Howlers."

Nick and Bogo looked over to her as she spoke, brows raising in interest as they waited for her to go on.

"If the suspect were under the influence of Night Howlers they wouldn't have had enough self-control to flee the scene. Besides, I got a good look at his eyes in the alley. He didn't seem out of his mind. Actually...he looked scared half to death."

The eyes of the jackal hadn't been that of an animal that had gone feral. They were scared and panicked, like someone who didn't know what to do. Nick scratched his chin at the information.

"Being chased by you is a pretty scary experience, Carrots. Can't say I blame the guy."

Judy shot the fox a sideways glare but before they could get into it, Bogo cleared his throat.

"So we can rule out Night Howlers. Until we question the victim further and see if we can find what sparked the attack, we don't have much to go on. Hopps, I'll need to get with the station's sketch artist so you can give a description of the suspect for the other officers to go on. No mention of this to anyone that's not an officer. The last thing we need is for the media to make this a bigger deal than it is."

Before he could dismiss them, there was a quick knock on the officer door before it opened and Clawhauser poked his head in as if on cue.

"Chief Bogo, there's someone here to see you."

The Chief narrowed his eyes at the interruption.

"Not now, Clawhauser. I'm busy. Tell them to wait."

That was usually enough to send the receptionist back, but the tubby cheetah played with his paws nervously as he looked to the side.

"Yeah...I tried to tell them that, but they looked pretty important and threatened to get the entire news crew in here if they didn't get answers from someone, so…"

Clawhauser trailed off, clearly not wanting to have to be the one to deal with whoever was downstairs. Bogo sighed as he rose from his seat.

"Fine. Wilde, Hopps, I expect your written reports before by the end of the day."

The two exchanged reluctant glances. Filling out paperwork was never fun. Hopping out of their seat, they followed Clawhauser and Bogo down to the main lobby, curious to see who this important visitor was.

* * *

A sharply dressed elk stood impatiently in the lobby of the ZPD. He lifted his hoof to check an expensive, gold wrist-watch before impatiently looking around again. Upon seeing Chief Bogo approaching with the others in tow, he gave a snort as if to say "finally!" before quickly marching over to the Chief.

"Are in chaaarge of this place?"

The elk demanded, looking up at the Chief fearlessly even though the buffalo had a good several feet on him. Bogo's mouth curved into a frown but he kept his voice level and professional as he answered.

"I'm Chief Bogo, yes. What can I help you with, Sir?"

Nick, Judy, and Clawhauser stood by the front desk, watching the confrontation like it were a particularly interesting television show as the two conversed.

"Who's this guy?"

Nick asked as he looked over to the police receptionist. Clawhauser kept his voice low so the Chief or the visitor wouldn't hear him, but they were too busy talking to each other to notice anyway.

"He said his name is Charles Hornsby. Apparently he's the leader of that Prey Activist group. that's been in the news lately."

Judy and Nick both tilted their heads as they looked at the Cheetah.

"Prey Activist group?"

Judy echoed. Clawhauser nodded quickly, his flabby face jiggling as he pulled out his phone and used it to search for something. He pulled up an article before showing it to the two. Nick raised a brow in amusement as he read it out loud.

"Prey Against Predatory Animals. PAPA."

He stopped for a moment before reading out some of the slogans on the group's web page.

"PAPA is watching. PAPA knows. PAPA is right behind you…."

The fox visibly flinched as a shudder ran up his spine. Judy felt the same way for the same reasons.

"That's the creepiest thing I've heard in awhile."

The bunny said while suppressing a shudder of her own as Clawhauser went on.

"I'm surprised you two haven't heard about them. They've been petitioning to get Bellwether freed from prison for some time now. From what I heard they weren't that big before, but after the whole NIght Howler things they've been gaining a lot of support."

Nick gave a shrug, interest on the subject already waning a bit.

"Can't expect me to know every bunch of crazies in the city."

Judy's nose twitched as she frowned a bit.

"I'm all for equal rights, but they're clearly using the Night Howler incident as a stepping stone for their own agenda. That was clearly all orchestrated by Bellwether no matter how you look at it!

The thought of a group using such a serious incident as a way to further their own goals was despicable, even if they may have had some good intentions in there somewhere. She didn't know exactly what they stood for yet, but listening to to this Mr. Hornsby talking to the Chief, she was starting to get an idea. The three of them turned their attention back to the conversation and listened intently.

"From what I understand, a member belonging to my group was attacked earlier today. Why haaas the dangerous predator responsible not been arrested yet?"

Charles demanded. Despite the size difference between him and Bogo, the elk's tone was condescending. The slight Southern drawl he had only made it seem more like he was talking down to the Chief. Judy and Clawhauser watched with bated breath while Nick smiled in amusement at the spectacle. Bogo's brow twitched but he kept his composure, answering in the same professional manner he reserved for citizens.

"We're looking into it at the moment. We have a suspect, but we're still in the process of tracking him down. I assure you we'll do everything in our power to get him off the streets."

His answer clearly didn't satisfy the elk. Charles raised a hoof and for a moment it looked like he was going to jab the Chief in the chest. But instead he settled for just pointing at him.

"See to it that you do, or I'll let the press know all about how the ZPD isn't taking the safety of prey seriously."

Up until that moment he had ignored everyone else aside from Bogo, but his eyes flicked over to the side where Nick, Judy, and Clawhauser were standing. Particualrly they focused on Nick and Clawhauser before the elk spoke again, purposely raising his voice so they heard him.

"It's your job to keep dangerous predators off the streets, not employ them."

Clawhauser shrank back a bit at the comment and even Nick's smile dropped for a moment. Neither one of them said anything.

"Who does this guy think he is?"

Nick looked over as Judy thumped her foot in anger, ears standing up and nose twitching.

"Let it go, Carrots. Clawhauser and I are big boys. We're not going to cry."

Nick tried to say, but the bunny was already marching over to the pompous elk. Bogo saw her out of the corner of his eye and started to raise his voice to stop her, but the bunny spoke before he could. The Chief gave a sigh as she confronted the elk, rubbing his eyes tiredly as she started to tell him off.

"I'll have you know that my partner here was the one responsible for staying with the victim and making sure she was okay until the ambulance arrived. Everyone in the ZPD takes their job seriously. Predator and prey."

It was this elk's way of thinking that had almost caused a divide between predator and prey during the Night Howler incident. She had come to understand that not everyone animal in Zootopia was tolerant of differences, but it still bothered her. Charles turned his eyes to look down at her, his snout twisting in a dismissive sneer.

"Is that so?"

He asked a she looked over to Nick, eyes narrowing as the fox gave him a smug smile and waved at him. Looking back at Judy, he straightened his tie as he spoke again.

"And which one of you was it that was responsible for letting the suspect get away?"

He asked. Judy deflated a bit, but quickly regained her composure.

"I take full responsibility for that. But as Chief Bogo said, we're doing everything in our power to make sure we find the suspect and bring them to custody. You can count on us."

Her words were confident but the elk was still looking at her dubiously. Finally a look of recognition seemed to dawn in his eyes.

"You're that bunny who was responsible for solving the Night Howler case, riiight?"

He asked. Judy nodded. She was used to people recognizing her even if she wasn't exactly treated like a hero. At her confirmation, the elk didn't even try and hide his look of disgust.

"I bet you think you're some kind of hero or something? I'll have you know the only thing your actions did was set back prey by several years. That's nothing to be proud of, little lady."

Judy bristled with indignation and anger, but before she could say anything in response the elk had turned around and started to walk out.

"I expect an arrest to be made soon, or the media will hear all about how the ZPD isn't doing their job properly."

Checking his watch again, he briskly walked out of the station as the four watched him go. Once he was gone it was if the air in the room was cleared and everyone let out a sigh.

"He was a real ray of sunshine."

Nick mumbled. Clawhauser grabbed his chest as he made his way back behind his desk.

"I thought I was going to pass out! I think I need a snack."

The cheetah said as he pulled out a box of donuts and quickly began to dig in. Judy was still silently fuming as Nick walked over to her, her foot thumping rapidly as she tried to keep her temper in check.

"Deep breaths, Carrot. Remember your heart."

His words made her let out a long sigh. He was always able to calm her down with his easygoing attitude.

"I'm fine. It's just...the nerve of that guy!"

Hornsby had obviously succeeded in getting under her skin, but he was right about one thing. They needed to find the suspect and find out why he had attacked. She remembered the look of fear in his eyes in the alley, almost as if he had regretted the whole thing. Something was telling her he hadn't attacked for no reason.

"Hopps! Wilde!"

Bogo's voice caused the two to look over. He was looking at them with a tired expression, but it seemed he was glad Hornsby was gone too.

"I want the two of you to head to the hospital and be ready to question Miss Doe once she's recovered. We need to stay on top of this before that Hornsby guy makes things worse."

The two saluted the Chief before turning around and quickly trying to leave the lobby. Not just because they were eager to get a head start, but because it seemed liked Bogo had forgot about the reports they were supposed to write.

" _After_ you turn in your reports."

The two froze before reluctantly turning around and sulking back to the squad room to write up their reports like two naughty children told to go finish their homework.

They were writing one report, but it looked like this was going to be the start of a long and complicated case.

* * *

 **A/N: Hi. I write words. Hopefully people enjoy them. It's been a while since I've written a serious story but after seeing Zootopia so many possibilities opened up. So here I am taking a shot at it again. I've only seen the movie once and it's too bad I can't go back and watch it again to reference certain scenes at will, so if I've gotten something wrong please let me know so I can correct it.**

 **As for the direction this story will go, I'll try my best to keep everyone as in character as possible while exploring some more of the themes presented in the movie. In regards to Judy and Nick's relationship as partners, my portrayal of them is a bit of my own interpretation on how they would handle cases. I see Judy as the more professional and dedicated of the two, but also the first one to spring into action when the situation calls for it and a bit more 'trigger-happy' than Nick. Nick, on the other hand, is the more street-savvy of the two, but approaches things more logically and cautiously when the going gets dangerous. You'll see more of that in later chapters though.**

 **This is planned to be the first story out of a series of three, but we'll see how things go. I don't have a set update schedule and kind of just write as the mood strikes me. For example, I cranked this entire chapter out in the span of half a day, but other chapters probably won't be as long or else I'll end up burning myself out. Please leave any comments, questions, or complaints in a review! Thank you for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Miss Doe, do you remember anything prior to the attack? Anything at all?"

Pen and paper in paw, Judy sat on a chair next to the hospital bed as she looked at the victim. Janet Doe, a young female deer that had been the victim of an apparent assault that morning. As instructed by Bogo, after filling out their police report she and Nick had headed over to the hospital to get the victim's testimony once she woke up. She had come to about an hour ago, and after being cleared by the doctor following another check-up, they had been allowed into her room to question her. Well, she had been allowed in anyway. Nick had opted to remain outside for several reasons. From they had heard, Janet Doe was a member of the same Prey Activist group Mr. Hornsby was in charge of. Taking that into mind Nick had decided that it may have not been wise for a predator to be the one doing the questioning. He was probably right, but Judy couldn't help but get the feeling that the fox just didn't want to be bothered to take down notes himself.

Turning her attention back to the victim, she gave the doe a quick assessment again. Young, wide-eyed, well-groomed and with a bit of an innocent air around her. Like Bogo said she didn't look like an animal that would do anything to provoke someone into an attack. Even now she seemed slightly nervous as if she were expecting something to jump out at her. According to the nurses she had panicked a bit upon waking up, but after being told what happened she had accepted it rather easily. She didn't even raise any complaints when they told her the police would be coming into question her. Judy gave her a moment to recover before speaking again.

"According to eyewitnesses, you were seen speaking with the alleged prior to the attack. Was he someone you knew? Do you remember saying anything that may have set him off?"

Judy kept her questions short and non-invasive, not wanting to make the victim feel pressured. The doe looked at her carefully like she was sizing up the small bunny herself and deciding if it were okay to speak or not. Finally, after a moment of silence, she gave a sigh and began to speak.

"I've never seen him before in my life. He was kind of...grungy, you know? Not anyone I'd normally hang out with. Oh, not because he's a predator or anything! I work with a ton of predators in my office so it's not like-"

Judy listened intently as the doe began to babble a bit. Despite being part of an activist group that considered predators dangerous, it didn't sound like she was a zealous as Hornsby was. Judy nodded along, writing down anything that sounded relevant before speaking up again.

"Can you describe the suspect, ma'am?"

Janet paused for a moment as she tried to think. Judy didn't rush her. It wasn't uncommon for a victim to blank out information in the following trauma of a violent crime, so she wanted to make sure Miss Doe was absolutely sure before answering. The doe began to speak slowly like the events of that morning had happened a lot longer ago.

"I was...waiting for the bus so I could go to work. Normally I carpool with a friend but I was running a little behind that morning and told them to go ahead without me. Anyway, he approached me while I was waiting for the bus. I didn't think much of him at the time. He was a jackal….around my age I'd say. Maybe a bit older? Like I said before, he looked a little grungy, like he had just gotten out of bed and was in a hurry to get somewhere."

Judy carefully wrote down the description of the suspect. She had seen him herself in the alley, but any details she may have missed would help. When Miss Doe was down describing him, Judy looked up.

"So he approached you? What did he say?"

The doe's ears lowered until they were flat on her head, and Judy saw a flash of something in her eyes. Regret? Fear? It was gone before she could pinpoint it exactly. After taking a moment to gather herself, the doe started to speak again.

"He said...I needed to come with him. He said he was sent to get me and we needed to hurry. I was surprised. I had never seen this guy before in my life and he was insisting I come with him."

Judy's ears twitched with interest at the information. An attempted kidnapping maybe? If that were true then he had a lot of guts to try and do it in broad daylight on a busy street. And if that were true why did he stick around afterward? She had a feeling something was missing, so she decided to try and pry for a bit more information.

"Can you tell me anything else?"

The officer asked gently. Janet looked down as if remembering the event was painful. Her shoulder where she had been scratched was wrapped in gauze. It wasn't serious and the doctors had told her it would heal in under a week. She reached up to touch it gingerly before speaking again.

"When I told him 'no' he seemed….desperate, almost scared. Like it was really important I come with him. He reached out for me but I pushed him away. He reached out again and I started to panic. I tried to back-up and push him away again but I slipped on the sidewalk. I felt something scratch me as I fell and then...it went black."

Judy's brows furrowed as she looked at the doe. Something didn't sound right.

"Wait, are you saying he didn't actually attack you? Is it possible you were scratched by accident while trying to push him away?"

Judy asked carefully. She didn't want to accuse the victim of anything, but at the same time she needed to get the facts. If this had been some kind of accident instead of an assault then it was imperative that was reported before things got out of paw. Janet looked down again. Instead of getting offended she just seemed unsure and confused.

"I'm not sure. He did reach out for me as I fell, but I don't know exactly what happened. Still, he really wanted me to go with him and I felt he was going to take me by force if I didn't get away!"

She looked up with genuine fear in her wide eyes. Seeing that, Judy had no choice but to believe she was telling the truth. She looked over notes as she went over things in her head. Who was the suspect and why did he want Janet to come with him so badly? According to her they had never met before, just he had sounded really insistent. For the moment they had hit a wall. Until they found the suspect they didn't have much else to go on. She looked back up at the doe with a gentle smile.

"Thank you, ma'am. You've been a big help. A police sketch artist will be coming in later to get a description from you. Please rest until then."

Thanking the doe for her cooperation, Judy bid her farewell before hopping off her chair and leaving the room, still mulling over everything she had been told.

"How'd it go?"

Nick was waiting for her outside the room, leaning against the wall casually with his phone out. She looked over to him with a slight smirk as she saw his phone.

"Glad to see you were hard at work too."

He met her sarcasm with a smile of his own.

"You know I'm the hardest worker on the force. Gotta' live up to my reputation, after all."

Judy rolled her eyes as the two began to walk down the hall. As they did, Nick matched his pace with hers while holding his phone up.

"Seriously though, get this. I was doing a bit of an investigation of my own. About that activist group and that Hornsby guy."

Judy looked over with interest. She hadn't thought Nick would have cared enough to look into something like that on his own, but she knew the fox could be surprisingly resourceful and diligent when necessary, especially when it was something that could relate to a case. He showed her his phone screen which had an article on Hornsby pulled up, speaking while she read over it.

"Creepy name aside, this 'PAPA' group is more nutso than we thought. Particularly Mr. Horns-a-lot. He's a lawyer known for exclusively supporting prey and persecuting predators for even the most minor of offenses and misunderstandings. He started PAPA several years ago under the mantra that prey need to be protected from vicious predators. It was a small group though and never gained much support….until recently."

Judy already knew what her partner was leading up to, having finished reading over the news on the phone. At his words, she still felt a heat sinking deep into her stomach. A combination of anger and disbelief.

"Like you thought, he's using the Night Howler incident as 'proof' that predators are dangerous and need to be monitored. Guys wants to start some kind of 'predator registry' so they're monitored at all times. Just the kind of things you'd expect from a wacko that wants to get Bellwether freed."

He put his phone away as they exited the hospital. It was evening, but the cool, night air did little to calm down the fire that was burning in the little bunny's heart.

"And he said I was setting prey back. What he's trying to do is setting the entire civilization back!"

Judy fumed as she thumped her foot angrily. Normally Nick would cut in with a joke to try and calm her down at this point, but even he was feeling a tad upset.

"I doubt animals are scared enough to buy into something like that, even after the Night Howler thing. But a guy like Hornsby is going to use anything to his advantage to get support."

He looked down at Judy with one of his rare serious looks. The ones he reserved for only the most urgent of times.

"Which is why we need to get this case sorted out before he makes it spiral even more out of control. What'd you get from the victim?"

Nick asked as they returned to their cruiser and got in.

"Not much. She states that she didn't know the suspect but he wanted her to come with him for some reason. It's possible that the wound was an accident, but the fact remains that he did try and get her to come with him."

She explained as she started the car. Nick thought for a moment as he looked over the notes Judy had taken, brow raising in interest here and there as he read over everything.

"Sounds like we're stuck until we find the guy."

The fox said regretfully as he put the notes down. Judy gave a sigh. She wasn't ready to relent yet but it looked like they didn't have a choice for the moment.

"Bogo said he'll pass out the sketches tomorrow morning so officers can keep an eye out for the suspect. Until then there's not much to go on. Let's call it a night for now, Carrots."

Nick yawned as they cruised down the night streets. It sounded like he just didn't want to deal with things anymore but Judy knew he was just as eager as she was to solve this case.

They drove in silence for a few minutes, both mulling over the case in their heads. Nick's ears suddenly perked up as he noticed something, looking out the window as the buildings passed by.

"Hey, Carrots. This is your side of town, isn't it?

He asked. Judy gave a nod, not really thinking much about it. Normally when they left for the day she dropped Nick off first before heading home herself. But after leaving the hospital they had to pass through her neighborhood before getting to Nick's place.

"Since we're here...how about you invite me up for a drink?"

Nick gave a yelp as he was thrown forward suddenly. The result of Judy slamming on the breaks without warning.

"I-huh?"

Judy looked over at her partner in disbelief as he rubbed his neck and grumbled. Was he serious? They were best friends, sure, and they were hanging out all the time both during and outside of work. But it had always been out in public. Not once had either of them ever met behind closed doors before. She wasn't thinking of any implications of anything. The question had just caught her off guard.

"Geeze, Carrots. You trying to give me whiplash? A simple 'no' would have been fine."

Nick mumbled as he straightened back up, casting Judy a sideways glance. She had started to drive again, but slowly.

"It's not that. You just surprised me. Didn't think you'd want to see where a dumb bunny lived."

She tried to laugh it off, expecting Nick to fire back with a joke of his own. But when the fox spoke again his voice was still serious.

"So is that a yes or a no?"

He asked again. Judy was silent, unintentionally gripping the steering wheel more tightly as she bit her lip. They would be coming up on her apartment soon and she couldn't just drive past it without saying anything. Glancing over she caught the fox's eyes before letting out a defeated sigh…

* * *

"I don't see what the big deal is. You've seen my apartment plenty of times."

"No, I've seen the front door of your apartment plenty of times. I've never actually been inside." Judy corrected as they walked down the hall of her apartment complex.

In the end she had relented and they decided to stop by her home before dropping Nick off. But just for one drink. It was late and they needed to get up early tomorrow to get on the case first thing. Thankfully it was nighttime and things were winding down, so they didn't pass anyone else on the way up. Not like she had anything to hide. They were off duty and there wasn't anything that said they couldn't meet up as friends.

Still, Judy felt a bit nervous. Not because they were meeting in private, but because this would be the first time, well, anyone saw her living quarters. Hero or not she was still a regular officer making normal pay, so she hadn't been able to save up enough to move into a bigger room yet. It was depressingly embarrassing, even if she was fine with being on her own. She glanced over at Nick who had on his usual smug smile. She just knew the fox would have something smart to say once he saw her room.

"What's the matter, Carrots? Something you don't want to show me? Don't tell me you have pictures of all 275 of your siblings hanging on the walls or something."

Nick joked as they reached her floor, causing Judy to let out a small chuckle. If only that were it. She was at least proud of her family to not be embarrassed about them.

"No, no...It's nothing like that. It's a much smaller problem, actually."

Judy said as they finally stopped outside her door. Nick still looked undeterred.

"I'm sure it can't be that….bad."

The fox started to say but ended lamely as Judy unlocked the door and opened it before turning on the lights. Nick's jaw fell open slightly as he took in the entire room. It only took a second. He was speechless as he walked inside, Judy quietly closing the door behind them. Looking around he kept expecting to see another door perhaps leading to a bigger room or something, but it soon became clear that this was all there was to it. He figured a bunny wouldn't need much space, but still.

"I got it on special, so I don't pay much. And it's a lot cozier than it looks."

Judy tried to explain as Nick looked around, ears drooping in embarrassment. She knew this had been a bad idea. Nick took in everything again quickly. There was a bed. A desk. A chair. And...that was it. There wasn't even a refrigerator, meaning she must have relied on a community kitchen. His own apartment wasn't very big but this was just depressing. He looked back at her with a raised brow.

"It's not that bad, really. I feel right at home here."

Judy tried to say optimistically under the fox's gaze. Nick didn't look like he was buying it.

"So, like. What do you do for fun?"

She didn't even have a TV. The only thing on her desk aside from her clock/radio was a small laptop which was probably used more for business than entertainment.

"I work out. I listen to the radio while filling out reports. My parents call and check in so it's fun talking to the-Please stop giving me that overwhelming look of pity, Nick."

Judy cut off her answer with a sigh, shoulder slumping as Nick tried to suppress a smile.

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I actually kind of like. It's...cozy, like you said. Must be easy to clean and you don't have to worry about losing anything. Wall to wall carpet has to be dirt cheap too."

She knew her friend was just trying to cheer her up but it did little to make her feel better. It wasn't like she needed some fancy room or anything, but a bigger place would be nice.

"I'll go get that drink. Carrot juice fine?"

Nick gave a small nod before Judy left the room to go fetch the drinks, leaving him alone. He understood now why she had never invited him over. He hadn't invited her over either, but not for any particular reason. It had just never really crossed his mind before. She could have told him no but she was a good enough friend to show him anyway despite his embarrassment. Now he felt bad for teasing her about it earlier. Was that his conscience speaking to him?

" _What kind of a friend are you? It's not her fault she can't afford a bigger place!"_

" _Yeah! What are you? Some kind of jerk!"_

Two voices from the adjacent room shouted at him, the thin wall only slightly muffling their voices. With a sigh, Nick sat down on the only chair in room and waited for his friend to return. It wasn't his job to worry about his friend's personal life, but he couldn't help but feel he opened up a completely different case.

* * *

"Morning, Clawhauser! What's everyone looking at?"

The next day Judy greeted the receptionist as she and Nick walked into the lobby of the ZPD. They had actually made it there at their usual time so there was still some time before the day's briefing. Judy felt refreshed and ready to go. Last night had been uneventful. She and Nick had spent a few hours talking in her room before she drove him back home and called it a night herself. After she had gotten done being embarrassed about her living situation, they had started talking as casually as always. It wasn't anything different from their usual conversation but it was nice to just talk with a friend after a long day. So she was ready to jump back on the case from the moment she got up that morning, but upon seeing most of the officers gathered around a TV in the lobby she raised a brow. Clawhauser waved the two over as he began to speak.

"You two have gotta' see this. Remember that mean old Mr. Hornsby guy? Well guess who's on the news."

The two exchanged an uneasy look, both sharing a sinking feeling before squeezing their way through the crowd to look at the TV.

"Good to know he looks as smarmy on TV as he does in real life."

Nick smirked as they laid eyes on the screen. The same sharply dressed elk that had been in the station yesterday was sitting on a chair opposite of the two newscasters of ZNN. The headline at the bottom of the screen read " _Exclusive interview"_ along with the elk's name; Charles Hornsby. Along with the other officers they listened to him speak.

" _Yesterday morning a member of my activist group was viciously attacked by an as of now unidentified predator. Now, the ZPD has informed me that they would do everything possible to get this dangerous predator removed from the streets. But as far as I know, no arrest or identification has been maaade yet. This is completely unacceptable and the reason why my group exists; We need a waay to protect prey from dangerous predators!"_

"Forget what I said earlier. I think he actually sounds even more annoying in front of the camera. More animals get to hear the trash he's spewing too."

Nick kept his usual smile on his face but his voice was laced with obvious disdain for the elk and his words. The other officers around him grumbled as they shuffled. Most of them were predators too, and not only was Hornsby insulting the ZPD, but all predators as well. They managed to contain their temper as they continued listening. Moosebridge was asking the elk a question.

" _Is it possible this attack is related to the Night Howler incident of three months ago?"_

The moose asked, but Hornsby merely scoffed as if the answer were obvious.

" _Of course not! In faaact, this was the very thing Dawn Bellwether was trying to warn us about. Even without the influence of something like Night Howlers, predators simply can't be trusted not to act on their base instincts and harm those around them. While a prey may only go feral under the influence of something like Night Howlers, it's a different story with predators. At our core we cannot deny who we are. That's the reason my group exists."_

Moosebridge's co-anchor, Catty Snowric, was remaining silent throughout the interview. She was a snow leopard and predator, and here she was being openly insulted. She kept her composure, however, barely batting her eye in a show of self-control that was directly conflicting what Hornsby was trying to sell. Perhaps sensing his co-anchor's discomfort, Moosebridge cleared his throat before asking another question.

" _And what exactly is it that your group is proposing, Mr. Hornsby?"_

By now, most of the officers watching seemed to be nearing their limits. Even the normally jovial Clawhauser was watching the screen with a subtle look of resentment in his eyes. But most offended of all seemed to be none other than Judy. Her ears were laying low and she was looking up at the screen with her tiny arms crossed. Even with her short stature, the fury radiating from her could be compared to a charging rhino. In fact, she looked even angrier than McHorn. What the elk said next, however, even she couldn't believe.

" _Well you see here, I've been proposing certain measurements been put into plaaace for the safety of all prey in Zootopia. Now, I'm not suggesting we muzzle every predator or anything. That would just be barbaric. No, I propose that we put in place a system that would make it possible to keep track of every predator in the city at all times. I brought some diagrams here. As you can see, each predator would be fitted with these collars that would allow law enforcement to monitor them at all times. And with the simple press of a button they could disabled with a quick, but powerful electric shock. We simply cannot wait for the police to arrive on the scene every time or else the lives of innocent prey may be in danger. It's all of the safety of-"_

The TV cut off suddenly before Hornsby could finish. At some point Nick had found the remote and used it to turn the TV off. Just in time too. Every officer watching looked incredibly offended and uncomfortable.

"I think that's enough TV for the morning. We aren't getting paid to stand around after all."

The fox said as he tossed the remote in the air and caught it deftly, an easy smile on his face. As the officers watching started to disperse to walk off their frustration, Judy looked over to her partner.

"Nick…"

She started to say with concern in her eyes. He was smiling, but she had noticed how his body had stiffened up when Hornsby had mentioned "muzzles" and throughout the rest of the interview. The fox shrugged as he put the remote down, turning to look at Judy and still smiling.

"I'm fine, Carrot. Big boy, remember?"

He assured her. She was still the only one who knew about his past. For everyone else he kept up his "never let them see it get to you" motto. Even if Hornsby had struck a nerve he wasn't going to give the elk the satisfaction of knowing it bothered him. The only thing they could do on that front was hurry up and catch the suspect before the elk had more time to showboat for the cameras and push his agenda. Knowing that dwelling on it would only make the fox deny it even further, Judy took a deep breath before putting a determined look on her face.

"The faster we catch this guy the faster Hornsby will be forced to put his hoof in his mouth."

Nick smiled at his partner's fiery determination.

"Well said, Carrots. Let's get to the bottom of this!"

The two nodded at each other before raising their fists and bumping them together.

"Now...do we have any more leads?"

Nick asked. Judy was about to respond when a familiar voice called out to them from the second floor.

"Hopps! Wilde! We've got an ID on the suspect. I'm sending the two of you over immediately."

Judy felt her spirits raising at the good news. She looked back at Nick and was pleased to see that the fox had already but his shades on, indicating it was go time. Without another word the two quickly made their way to the second floor to get more information from Bogo. It was time to get to the bottom of this!

* * *

 **A/N: An update quicker than I expected. But I had some free time today and decided to go ahead and get it up. Hope it's fine.**

 **It's only been a day but thanks for all the comments and reviews so far. Again, if you notice anything off feel free to point it out so I can fix it for later chapters. I plan to go see the movie again this weekend to see if I can pick up on things I missed the first time. Also, it's so good I just want to see it again anyway.**

 **For those of you that don't know, one of the original drafts for the movie had the predators in Zootopia being fitted with tracking collars. Hornsby proposal is making a reference to that. While I think the movie turned out great even after scrapping the idea, it's something that I feel would be interesting to possibly revisit.**

 **I've gotten some PMs congratulating me for the correct use of police protocol so far. The reason for this is because both my parents and my uncle were actually police officers so I've been exposed to a lot of police talk growing up. I even thought of becoming one myself but life hasn't taken me in that direction yet. So I'll try to keep the police business as official sounding as possible.**

 **I'm going to work on adding some more humor to the story, mainly in the interactions between Judy and Nick. I also wanted to show how comfortable they are around each other without specifically hinting at a relationship. The apartment scene was supposed to show some of that but I don't know if I pulled it off well. Again, I'm getting back into the groove of writing so bear with me for a few more chapters.**

 **Again, thanks for reading. Leave a comment or review when you have the time!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Antoine Aurusen, Age 26. Works as a cab driver during the evenings but doesn't seem to have any other jobs. He's been cited for illegal gambling a few times in the past but has never been convicted for anything major."

Judy listened as Nick read the case file on the suspect Bogo had given them. They were on the way to the cab company where Antoine was employed to see if he was scheduled to work that night. If he showed up then they had enough to take him in for questioning at least. With both Miss Doe and her own description combined with the police sketches, they had managed to identify the suspect rather quickly. While there was nothing to suggest he would strike again, they still needed to get him off the streets and find out the full story.

"Any history of violence or anything like that?" Judy asked as she glanced over to her partner. Nick flipped through the file again before shaking his head.

"Nothing. Everything the ZPD has on him are misdemeanors at best. Doesn't seem like the type of guy that would suddenly jump to assault or kidnapping for no reason." The fox answered , but then frowned as if he didn't quite agree with himself.

"Maybe he got in too deep with some debts and needed a way to pay them off?" Nick suggested as he looked over to Judy. The bunny furrowed her brows as she kept her eyes on the road, but she was thinking about it too. After a moment of deliberation she shook her head in doubt.

"Miss Doe doesn't appear to have any family members or connections to anyone with a lot of money. I doubt he was going to try and use her as random. Besides, from what she said, he specifically approached her and seemed set on getting her to go with him. This sounds personal." The bunny assessed after reviewing everything they knew in her head. But according to the victim she had never seen him before and couldn't identify him by name. It was all confusing. Hopefully they would get some answers once they questioned Antoine's boss.

After a few minutes of driving they finally pulled up outside a building. From all the taxi cabs in the parking lot it was clear that this was their destination. Nick looked up at the sign as he got out of the cruiser. _"Cheetah Express Taxi Service"_. The fox couldn't help but smirk at the name as he thought of a certain pudgy cheetah back at the station. "Maybe we should have gotten Clawhauser to come with us." He joked as he and Judy walked into the building. The bunny smiled as she elbowed the fox's leg.

"Yeah, maybe we should invite him for a ride along next time. Sitting behind that desk everyday can't be good for him."

The two shared a laugh before going inside.

* * *

"Antoine? He's a good worker. Always on time for his shifts and always asking for over time. Documents his entire route correctly as well and never just lets the meter run."

Judy and Nick listened as they were led to a backroom by a cheetah in a suit. He was the owner of the taxi service and had agreed to speak to them after seeing they were police officers. They gave each other a look as the cheetah opened a file cabinet where information on the service's employees were kept. After locating Antoine's file, he handed it over to Nick as Judy began to ask him some questions.

"Did Antoine seem any different these last few days? Like he was afraid of something?" The bunny asked. The cheetah thought for a moment as he stroked his chin with his paw, speaking slowly. "Not that I saw. He did call out for his shift last night which was a little surprising. But I assumed he had just been working too hard and needed a break." The cheetah answered. His response made Judy's ears twitched. The attack had happened yesterday morning, so if Antoine called out of work that could have meant he didn't want to be out in public. It sounded like the evidence against him was piling up.

"What about tonight? Is he scheduled to come in?" Judy asked the cheetah. He turned around and indicated they should follow him as he led them back down the hall to the front desk to check the schedule. There were a list of names of the taxi drivers and their shifts which he looked over carefully before turning back to the officer and shaking his head.

"He's not scheduled for tonight. But I can call him in if you want." The cheetah suggested, willing to cooperate with the police anyway he could. Judy thought for a bit before shaking her head. If the suspect was already jumpy then he might be suspicious if he were called in for work out of nowhere. Best to back off for now and come up with something else. She looked over as Nick walked up to them.

"This information accurate?" The fox asked, referring to Antoine's employee file. The cheetah looked it over himself before nodding. "It should be." He answered, causing Nick to pull out a pen and paper and write some stuff down and nodding to the cheetah. "Thanks for your help. Come on, Carrots. Let's say we go pay our pal a home visit." He held up his notepad, showing that he had written Antoine's address on it. Bidding farewell to the cheetah and thanking him for his help again, the two left to head back to their cruiser.

* * *

"Mr. Aurusen? Are you in there?"

Nick called out as Judy thumped against the door to an apartment. This was Antoine's address, but they had been knocking on the door and calling out for a few minutes now with no response. Either he wasn't in or didn't want to open the door. Judy gave a huff as she looked up at the door. Had she been a bigger animal Nick would have actually been worried she would try and break the door down. "Easy, Carrots. If he's in there he's not coming out. And we're not getting in without a warrant." Nick sighed as he rubbed his neck. Getting a warrant wouldn't be too hard at this point, but they would need to see a judge first which was just another timesink. Zootopia was huge and the longer they waited the easier it would be for Antoine to vanish somewhere and never be seen again. Hopefully he hadn't fled the main city yet or else finding him would be almost impossible without anymore leads. Judy crossed her arms as she huffed again.

"Well, what now? Any other leads we can follow?" She asked her partner. Nick flipped through his notes again but from his expression the news didn't seem like it was going to be good. "Doesn't have any family listed and according to his boss he wasn't really friends with anyone either. We're stuck unless someone else comes forwards." Nick said regretfully. Judy's nose wrinkled and he couldn't help but raise a brows as he smiled.

"You know. That actually is kind of c-"

"Don't, Nick. Not right now."

He was cut off as she held up a paw, causing him to shrug his shoulders as they turned away from the door. "Guess we should see about that warrant." The fox said as he reached into his pocket to pull out his shades and put the back on. Judy was about to say something but cut off as her phone began to ring. Seeing the caller ID, she motioned for Nick to be quiet as she answered the call.

"Officer Hopps speaking. What's up?"

Nick strained his ears as he tried to hear the conversation, but the voice was still a bit muffled over the phone and he couldn't make it out clearly. From Judy's expression, however, he could tell it wasn't good news. Judy disconnected the call with a grim expression as she looked over to her partner. "I'm going to guess that wasn't the station calling to tell us to turn in early because they caught the guy already, right?" He asked with a sigh as he opened to door to the cruiser and got into the passenger seat, looking over as Judy buckled in herself.

"There's been another attack." She said grimly. "This one a lot worse."

* * *

"Female goat. Age 31. Multiple wounds on her chest and neck caused by the claws of her attacker. Her attacker followed the same pattern as the last attack. The assault took place on a crowded street about an hour ago and they used the confusion and panic to get away before anyone could identify them accurately."

Judy and Nick sat across from a tired looking Bogo as he gave them the details of the latest attack. They had just gotten back to the station but had been immediately called in by the Chief since they were the lead officers on the case. The two were silent. They had thought that Antoine would lay low, not strike again in broad daylight especially when the police were actively looking for him. But it looked like he was bolder than they had expected. Well, either that or incredibly stupid.

"He has more guts than I thought. If the police were after me I wouldn't show my face for at least a week. Errr, not that the police have ever been after me or anything." Nick trailed off with a chuckle as Judy gave her partner a sideways glance. Bogo merely grunted as he fixed the fox with a serious stare. "Can it, Wilde. This is not the time." The buffalo snorted before giving a sigh.

"That Hornsby guy really put us on the spot with his showboating, and now we have another case. We need to handle this before word gets out. Did you two find Antoine?" The Chief asked them but they both shook their head regretfully.

"He wasn't at home and he's not scheduled to work tonight either. Unless we get some more information we have no idea where to look." Judy said in a low voice, disappointed that she couldn't give a more satisfactory answer. Bogo sighed again as he rubbed his temples. This was getting more and more complicated by the minute. "Was the latest victim able to identify Antoine as the attacker?" Nick asked, trying to contribute as much as he could. But Bogo shook his head. "She's still in shock after the attack and not in any condition to answer any question. We'll have to wait for her to calm down." The Chief informed them. Bogo straightened up with a serious expression on his face. As tiring as this was he did still have a duty to the citizens to protect them. They had to find out what was going on.

"Hopps. Wilde. I want the two of you to-" The Chief started to say but cut off as the door to his office opened suddenly. His eyes narrowed at the overweight cheetah in the doorway. "Not now, Clawhauser. I'm busy." The buffalo said with a bit of annoyance, which would usually be enough to get the receptionist to leave. But Clawhauser stayed in the doorway, fiddling with his claws nervously as he spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Chief. But you might want to turn on the TV…"

Bogo exchanged a look with Judy and Nick before reaching for the remote to turn on a TV he kept in the corner of his room. Since he spent time watching the news normally, it was already on the proper channel and it didn't take them long to see what was going on. "Oh no…" Nick groaned in irritation as he placed a paw to his forehead. It wasn't hard to see why. On the TV screen was a familiar elk giving another interview.

" _It seems that the citizens of Zootopia really can't place their trust in the ZPD. Mere hours ago another member of my activist group was savaaagely attacked by another predator in broad daylight and police have still yet to make an arrest. This is unacceptable. Will it take an actual death or another city wide paaanic before something is done? This is exactly why predators need to be monitored more carefully."_

They listened to the Southern elk drone on for several more minutes about his activist group and their goals before Bogo had enough and turned the TV off. There was a heavy silence in the room as they realized they had been thrown under the bus again. "I swear that guy gets more annoying every time I hear him." Nick mumbled, but no one was in a laughing mood.

"Hopps. Wilde. Go check Antoine's work again. Questions his boss and co-workers. Someone has to know where he is!" The Chief sighed. The two saluted him before getting up from their chairs and leaving the office with Clawhauser. Outside the three stood silently for a moment before Judy looked down regretfully.

"This is my fault. I shouldn't have let him get away yesterday." The bunny said in a low voice. Clawhauser gave a sympathetic look as he moved to pat her back. "Oh no, Judy. You can't blame yourself for that. If it weren't for you we may have not even been able to identify him." The cheetah tried to cheer her up. Nick normally would have cut in by now to try and cheer her partner up as well, but the fox was thinking deeply about something. "Come on." Clawhauser said with a smile. "Once you guys get some lunch I'm sure you'll be ready to have this solved before the end of the day!" The cheetah was still trying to cheer his friend up when Nick spoke up suddenly.

"Hey, Clawhauser. About how long ago was the second attack first reported?" Nick asked as he looked at the receptionist. Clawhauser looked confused for a second but then thought about the question before answering.

"I'm not exactly sure. Calls like that don't really go through me first or anything. But if I had to say...maybe about an hour? Or an hour and a half. I was watching a recording of Gazelle's last concert when I noticed everyone was kind of in an uproar." The pudgy cheetah answered carefully, not seeming to notice that he had just admitted to slacking off on the job. His answer only caused Nick to frown again. Judy looked at her partner carefully. What was he getting at? Her ears perked up as she suddenly caught on to where Nick was going with this.

"Wait a minute. If the attack happened that shortly ago and we haven't released any details…how did Hornsby know and how was he able to set up an interview so quickly?" Judy said as she looked to her partner. Nick smiled as his friend got on the same page as him.

"Even if the victim was part of the same group, I doubt they stay in contact 24/7. And Bogo himself said she wasn't in any condition to speak with anyone. Which means Horns-a-Lot had to have found out about the attack the same time the police did. And to set up an interview that fast too...that's a bit convenient, don't you think?" Nick and Judy exchanged a sly smile before lifting their paws and high-fiving each other.

"You thinking what I'm thinking, Carrots?"

"Let's go pay Hornsby a little visit!"

Clawhauser watched the two with a look of confusion, not sure what they were talking about. "Clawhauser! Do you know where Hornsby's office is?" He blinked as Judy turned to him. "I can look it up when I get back to the desk. Why?" He started to ask but the two were already running down the hall.

"Great! Text it to me the address soon as possible!"

Judy called back before the two disappeared around the corner, leaving the confused cheetah behind. "Right! Alright, Clawhauser. This is your chance to shine!" The receptionist said with a sudden look of determination. Taking a deep breath he began to jog down the hall to get back to his desk faster. He barely made it to the end of the hallway before bending over and grabbing his gut, wheezing heavily from the sudden exercise.

* * *

"This the place?"

Nick asked as he and Judy got out of the cruiser. They were parked outside of a corner office in the Downtown District. They were in the section where most of the law firms did business, and sure enough the building they were outside of had _"Charles Hornsby at Law"_ on a sign over the entrance. Below it was a smaller sign but still clear to make out. _"For prey services only"._ Yeah, this was definitely the place.

A young doe with glasses looked up as the door opened. She smiled and began to welcome Judy, but upon seeing Nick next to her the smile dropped. "Can I help you?" She asked in a clipped voice, making it clear she was talking to Judy and not the fox. "We're here to see Hornsby. Is he in?" The bunny asked as she stopped in front of the desk. The doe gave a disgusted look as Nick leaned against the desk, giving her a smug smile. She turned her eyes away from him before answering Judy slowly.

"Do you have an appointment? Mr. Hornsby is very busy, especially with the recent news." The secretary answered, expecting that would be enough to turn them away. "Don't need one." Nick said as he pointed to the badge on his chest. "Horns-a-Lot may have information relevant to said cases, meaning that puts us at the top of any appointment list." Nick continued to smile, causing the secretary to glare at him. "Is he in or not, ma'am?" Judy asked again as she hopped up onto the desk, giving the doe a pointed stare. Even though the bunny was small her gaze was fierce, and the secretary balked for a moment.

Before she could answer there was a sudden _'crash'_ from down the hall, followed by muffled shouting. Judy and Nick looked at each other seriously before Judy jumped off the desk and the two started to run in the direction of the commotion. "Wait! Mr. Hornsby is with a client right now!" The doe tried to yell after them but it was too late. They paused outside of a door at the end of the hall which must have led to Hornsby office. More yelling could be heard from inside and the two pulled out their stun guns before nodding at each other. Together they lifted their feet and kicked the door open before storming in, weapons at the ready.

Hornsby was standing by a window, looking carefully at someone in front of him. The top of the desk was in disarray with papers and pens scattered everywhere. The reason for the chaos being a male jackal who was standing on the desk, fur bristling with anger as he jabbed a claw in the elk's direction. He wore an old cabbie hat and a faded yellow blazer, a black tie hanging loosely from his neck. A chair was laying on the floor, which must have been the source of the noise from earlier.

"This wasn't supposed to happen! Now the cops are after me….You set me up!" The jackal growled as he took a step forward on the desk, looking like he was about to pounce on the elk at any moment. He was so worked up so he didn't notice Nick and Judy come in, but Hornsby caught their eye for a brief moment before looking back to the jackal and speaking with careful composure. "I have no idea whaaat you're talking about." The elk said calmly, though he continued to back up carefully. Hornsby had several feet on the jackal but the jackal was still a predator, and his claws and teeth were sharp enough to do lasting damage. The two officers pointed their weapons at him.

"Freeze! This is the ZPD. Step down from the desk and put your paws up!"

Judy demanded, but her words fell on deaf ears. The jackal was too worked up to listen, hackles raised and fangs bared angrily. This was bad. He looked ready to attack and if he jumped suddenly they might miss their shots. She had to do something else. Nick saw his partner move out of the corner of his eye but there wasn't time to stop her. Judy returned her stun gun to her holster before quickly running around the side of the desk. She jumped into the air at the same time the jackal lunged at Hornsby. She was small, but her powerful legs and momentum gave enough her force to catch the jackal in the ribs with a kick, sending him flying in the other direction before sliding across the ground heavily. Before he could get up Nick was standing over him with his stun gun pointed at his back.

"Antoine Aurusen. You're under arrest for the suspected assault of two female victims. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law."

As Nick read the jackal his rights and started to cuff him, Judy brushed herself off before looking up at Hornsby. Despite the tense situation the elk was calmly fixing his tie and didn't seem to be traumatized by the near attack. In fact, he hardly looked worry at all from the moment the two entered the room. Did he know they would save him or was it something else?

"I suppose I should thaank you." The elk said shortly as he looked down at the officer. Judy was about to tell him that she was just doing her job when the elk spoke again. "Though if you had done your job in the first place it never would have escalated this far." He added on with his usual, snobby drawl, causing Judy's ears to droop a bit. "Are you alright, Mr. Hornsby?" She asked while keeping the disdain out of her voice. Even if she didn't like dealing with the elk and couldn't stand his views, he was still a victim in this situation. The elk brushed off his shoulder like the whole ordeal had been no big deal before nodding at the officer. "As you can see, I'm perfectly fine. Though if you had been a bit slower I would just be another victim on this...savage's list." He shot the last part towards the jackal, causing him to growl and gnash his fangs. Nick had a good grip on him so he couldn't go anywhere even though the jackal was a bit larger than the fox.

"Alright, alright. Take it easy buddy. Let's go." Nick said as he started to lead the captured suspect out of the room, leaving Judy with Hornsby. The bunny looked up at the elk who was watching the other two leave. "Mr. Hornsby, if you don't mind, we'll need you to come down to the station to answer some questions." She informed him in a level tone. The elk raised a brow as he looked down to her. "Why? I'm sure you don't need my testimony to help you do your job at this point." He said, still sounding ungrateful even though he was just rescued. Judy put her hands on her hips as she frowned a bit.

"No, but we do have some questions for you regarding the suspect and the previous cases. We believe you may have relevant information regarding the suspect's motives. You can come in on your own or we can bring you in now." She wasn't threatening him specifically, but it was clear she was putting the pressure on the elk. He stared at her for a moment before giving an annoyed sigh.

"Fine. I'll be there after I clear my schedule. Is that fine, officer?" The elk finally relented, causing Judy to give him a satisfied nod. "Be sure you get there as soon as possible." You said before hurrying to catch up with Nick. The elk watched her leave with an unreadable look in his eyes, but the moment he was sure she was gone he couldn't help a small smirk from appearing on his face.

* * *

Antoine, despite his young age, was a tired looking animal. He had dark rings around his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days, and the fur on his head was messy now that his hat was off. His clothes weren't dirty, but they were wrinkled and unkempt, implying he had just thrown them on without much care. He was sitting along in the interrogation room. From the other side of the one-way mirror, Bogo, Nick, and Judy were watching him carefully. Bogo looked at the sketch in his hand and then back at the jackal. It was a clear match.

"So this is the guy, huh?" The Chief asked the two. Judy nodded in confirmation. "The wallet he was carrying had his ID in it and it matched up as well. This is Antoine Aurusen alright." She said with confidence, causing the Chief to give a snort of approval before looking back at the suspect. "He doesn't look like the type of guy to commit assaults in broad daylight." The Chief said with a raised brow. Nick smirked in response. "You didn't see him in the office, Chief. He would have ripped Horns-a-Lot a new one if not for Carrots here. Though I think she should have waited just a little longer. You know, just to scare the Hornsmeister a bit." Nick said, ready for the Chief to reprimand him for the unprofessional comment, but the buffalo just gave a noncommittal nod.

"About Hornsby...what did he have to say about the whole thing?" Bogo asked the two. They had informed them of their suspicions and why they had called the elk in for questioning as well. He had left about a half hour ago after answering their questions and they didn't have anything else to hold him on. Judy shook her head.

"Not much. He insists he's never met Antoine before even though we clearly heard Antoine accuse Hornsby of setting him up. His secretary confirms that he was in the office at the time of the second attack, though she could be lying. According to her, Mr. Aurusen arrived at the office a few minutes before we did and demanded to see Hornsby." Judy recounted everything she had gotten from the elk and his secretary who had also been called in for questioning. Bogo grunted as he raised a brow. "And he met with a predator, why? He made it very clear on the news he doesn't agree with them, so I can't imagine him meeting with one in private." It was a good question, but Judy didn't have a satisfactory answer.

"He wouldn't say. Says it was lawyer-client privilege or something like that." The bunny answered. Nick chuckled. "So he's covering his own hide. Of course." Bogo nodded in agreement but there was nothing more to pursue there. "If we don't have anything linking them together specifically we'll have to leave that be for now. See if the two of you can get Antoine to spill anything else." The Chief commanded them. They gave him a salute before exiting the room, only reappear on the other side of the mirror. Bogo listened in as they began to question the suspect.

"Need a drink? I can imagine dealing with a blow hard like that must have been pretty suffocating." Antoine looked over as the door the room opened and the fox and bunny that arrested him walked in. The fox placed a cup on the table in front of him which he eyed cautiously as the two sat across from him. They had barely sat down before he spoke up quickly.

"I didn't mean to hurt that girl. She fell and my claws scratched her on accident. I got scared and ran because….well, you know how predators get looked at after that Night Howler thing."

Judy and Nick looked at each other with surprise at the sudden confession. They hadn't even started interrogating him and already he had admitted to being at the scene of the first attack. Though he was saying it was an accident. Not wanting him to clam up now, Judy gently tried to get him to continue before he requested a lawyer.

"If it were indeed an accident we'll take that into consideration. But we need to know, why did you approach the victim in the first place? She said you were really insistent that you come with her. Have you had any contact with her prior to that morning?" Judy asked, not trying to sound like she was pressuring him too much. The jackal thought for a moment before giving a sigh.

"No. I haven't." He admitted. Judy and Nick remained quiet as they waited for him to continue. He looked at the two with tired eyes before sighing again. "Look, I'm in a bad way with some even badder guys, okay? I owe them some money and was desperate. But he told me if I picked her up, then…" The two officers listened carefully. It sounded like he was about to reveal something important but the jackal suddenly tensed up, flexing his claws as he growled. He was still in cuffs but Nick and Judy discreetly reached for their weapons anyway as the jackal snarled.

"He set me up! He told me all I had to do was pick her up and then-!" Before the jackal could say any names he seemed to remember where he was and gave a sigh, all the energy leaving him. Judy leaned forward, trying to urge him to keep talking. "He? He who? Hornsby? Who set you up, Antoine?" She asked, but the jackal merely slumped forward and covered his head with his paws. They could barely hear him as he mumbled to himself.

"It doesn't matter. Scrofa is going to kill me for not having his money anyway. Maybe jail is for the best."

"Scrofa?" Judy looked over as Nick repeated the name. The fox's ears were standing at attention and he seemed to recognize the name. She would have to ask him about it when they were done, but for now she looked back to Antoine.

"What about the second attack? Were you told to get her too?" She asked, referring to the other attack that had been reported earlier. They had assumed it had been Antoine as well, but upon hearing about it the jackal looked up sharply. "Second attack?" He echoed. Before Judy could elaborate he got defensive, backing up in his chair and shaking his head.

"No, no! I said the first one was an accident! I didn't mean to hurt anybody so I have no idea about any other attacks. You're not pinning that on me! I want a lawyer!" He said the dreaded words, meaning the two had to stop their questioning. With a nod to Nick the two stood up before exiting the room. Bogo was waiting for them outside.

"That didn't tell us much. But at least we can link him to the first attack." The Chief said, though he didn't look completely happy. They weren't getting anything else out of Antoine now that he had lawyer'd up, so they would have to investigate something else he had said. "Who is this Scrofa he mentioned? Did that name come up in your investigation?" He asked. Judy shook her head. It was her first time hearing the name too. But Nick...The two turned to look at the fox.

"Nick. Do you know who Scrofa is?" Judy asked her partner. The fox was silent for a moment before giving the two a wry smile.

"Unfortunately." He said as he scratched his ear. "Remember how I said I know everyone? Well...not all of them are what I'd call friends. Let's just say Mr. Big isn't the only one I may have upset in the past."

Judy and Bogo listened with interest as Nick began to tell them what he knew about this mysterious Scrofa and how he may relate to the suspect, the mystery growing deeper by the moment.

* * *

 **A/N: Wow, thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews. Apparently this story has been mentioned on TVTropes. I never expected it would be that well received in such a short amount of time. I take all comments and criticism to heart and try to improve the best I can, so thanks for everyone's comment and support so far!**

 **I tried to change up the writing style a bit this chapter since I've gotten some complaints about having new dialogue on separate lines instead of in the same paragraph. I do that because it make it easier to pinpoint when someone is talking, in my opinion, but I can see how it would confuse people. Hopefully things flowed a bit better this time. I try to keep grammar and spelling errors to a minimum as well, but there are some things I miss out on even when I re-read. I use google docs to type up my initial chapters and it doesn't quite catch everything. Some people have asked me if I were accepting a proofreader or beta reader and the answer is sure! I'm not sure how it works on this website but if anyone is interested feel free to drop me a line to work things out.**

 **I'm a bit worried that I'm portraying things as too serious with all the police jargon and procedure and am missing a bit of the spirit of the actual movie. I want to show more scenes with Nick and Judy off duty that are a bit more lighthearted and comical, but wanted to set up the main plot before that. So please bear with me there! I really love their dynamic and want to show more of them interacting while off the job. This first story is kind of to "test the waters" so to speak and get back into the groove of things. I'll tone it down as it goes on and I get comfortable again.**

 **Again thanks for all the feedback. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave a review or PM me! Next chapter probably won't be until sometime next week since I plan to be at TAC this weekend but we'll see how things go.**


	4. Chapter 4

"So. Tell me again about this Scrofa guy."

Nick heard his partner's voice from the other of a thin wall that separated them. They were in the equipment room of the ZPD, but they weren't putting on their uniforms. Nick put his arms through the sleeves of a white dress shirt and began to button it up as he answered.

"I told you and the Chief pretty much everything already, but ok. He fancies himself as some kind of big shot gangster but he's more or less just a bully at best. Though he has managed to build up his own posse' somehow. Not as important as someone like Mr. Big, but it's done a lot for his ego." The fox chuckled to himself as he pulled on a black blazer, leaving the front unbuttoned. He looked himself over in a mirror on the wall a few times before deciding that his appearance was satisfactory. Reaching for a tie that was already knotted, he threw it around his shoulders and carefully started to tighten it. From the other side of the wall he heard Judy's voice along with the sound of clothes rustling, causing one of his brows to raise a bit. He quickly focused on her words, however, as she asked him another question.

"And how do you think he relates to Antoine?" On her side Judy looked herself over as well. She was wearing a black, tea length cocktail dress with a slit cut tastefully on one side, barely exposing a bit of her left leg. She frowned a bit at the mirror. It didn't look bad, but it wasn't something she would normally wear. She would much prefer her usually police uniform and vest, honestly. But that was a bit out of the question considering where they were about to go. Putting it out of her mind her ears perked up to catch Nick's answer.

"Like I said, Scrofa fancies himself as some kind of big time gangster. He's managed to build up quite a bit of money and doesn't mind lending it out...as long as he gets paid back." The fox's voice took on an ominous tone. He had explained the same thing when they were with Bogo, but now that they were alone he was a bit more open with his words. For example, he hadn't told Bogo exactly how he was related to Scrofa. But around Judy he didn't have anything to hide, knowing that she wouldn't judge him like others would. "I owed him some money in the past, but we're squared away now. He's very serious when it comes to collecting his dues though. Serious enough to make most people desperate with fear." Nick finished as he pulled on a pair of matching black pants. His explanation combined with what he had told them earlier allowed Judy to start putting together a general idea of what was going on.

After they had finished interrogating Antoine the other day and he mentioned Scrofa, Nick had filled her and Bogo in on what he knew. From what he had told them, Scrofa was the owner of a somewhat popular bar and casino downtown. According to their records he had had several run ins with the ZPD before regarding allegations of some under-the-table deals going on within his business, but they hadn't been able to get anything to stick. From what Nick had told them, however, he sounded exactly like the type of guy you wouldn't want to get on the bad side of. If Antoine had mentioned him by name then that meant it was a lead worth pursuing.

Judy looked herself over in the mirror one last time before suppressing a sigh. "Think he'll let anything slip?" She asked as she prepared to leave the booth she was in and meet up with Nick. Her partner's response was laced with amusement, like he was looking forward to the challenge of the whole thing.

"Scrofa thinks he's smarter than he actually is, so if we play our cards right we might be able to get him to say something stupid. That said, he's also pretty good at covering his ass without sticking his foot in his mouth." At his answer, Judy couldn't help but smirk as she remembered something.

"So he's smarter than you?"

Nick flinched at her words as they met up face to face again, knowing that she was referring to the time he had accidentally outed himself for tax evasion. Though now that he thought about it if it hadn't been for him incriminating himself they probably wouldn't even be friends right now. For that, he let it slide, but a sly grinned crossed his face as he looked at the bunny, kneeling slightly so they were on eye level. "I'm going to let that slide since you look so adorable in that little dress of yours." He teased before tapping her lightly on the nose with his claw. Judy rolled her eyes as she swatted his paw away playfully. Stepping back she looked him over before giving an approving nod and crossing her arms.

"You don't look too bad either...For a dumb fox, that is."

"I'm going to let that slide too. Come on, let's not keep the Chief waiting any longer."

* * *

"Normally we would just send you in uniform. This Scrofa guy having his name mentioned gives us probable cause to question him. But seeing as how he might clam up if two officers come walking through the doors, we'll have to rely on you two."

Bogo looked across his desk at Nick and Judy, briefing them one last time. They both looked like they were about to go to an evening party, but of course it was something different than that. Nick was relaxed, leaning back in his chair with one arm casually hanging over the back. Judy was sitting stiffly at attention, perhaps more conscious now that she was wearing something she wasn't used to. Aside from that, this was her first time going undercover and it was more than a little exciting. It wasn't like they were about to bust up some infamous drug ring or take down a notorious murderer, but they were helping to solve an on-going case. It was a step above patrol duty and busting small time offenders like Weaselton. So Judy couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and responsibility mixed in with the excitement. While Nick looked relaxed, she listened intently as Bogo continued to fill them in.

"Unfortunately we aren't able to get you set up with a wire since we're not actually investigating Scrofa himself. We're only trying to get information on Antoine's connection to him and if it relates to the assaults. If he says anything linking the two together then I can start trying to get approval for a more in-depth investigation." The Chief was always serious when it came to the job, but from his expression and tone it was clear he didn't want any screw-ups. Even if he seemed at odds with the two at times he was still sending two officers into a potentially dangerous place. They would have other officers on standby, but if something did happen it was doubtful they would be able to react quickly enough to prevent everything. The two in front of him hadn't been on the force for long, but something was telling him they were the best for this job. Though he would never admit that out loud.

"Your concern is touching, Chief, but me and Carrots will be fine. It will be just like going to talk with an old friend!" Nick said with a nonchalant wave and easy smile, but Bogo fixed him with a glare.

"Speaking of which, I'll have to ask you after all this is over exactly how you're so familiar with a possible criminal, Wilde." Bogo's words made Nick's smile falter slightly. Judy gave her partner a sideways glance. When he had put in his application to join the ZPD of course they had to run a background check. Nothing major came up, but Judy knew the fox had experience skirting the lines of the law. Most of the department didn't know that though. Even she had to admit she didn't know everything about her partner's past. If something unsavory about the fox's past actions got out, he could very well be dismissed and possibly even thrown into jail. But that just showed her how serious he was taking his new life. He was willing to possibly put himself at risk by revealing his past connections just to solve a case.

Before Bogo could build anymore suspicion, the door to the office opened and a grizzly bear in uniform stepped in. "We're ready, Chief." He informed Bogo. The Chief nodded at him before standing up from his desk with Nick and Judy following his lead. "We have a car waiting outside to drop you off, and we'll have some officers planted inside as well. Don't screw this up." He warned them again as they began to make their way out of the office. The two exchanged a glance. How could they possibly screw things up?

* * *

Judy looked up as she stepped out of a black car. It was evening, causing the bright sign of the building in front of her to stand out like a burning fire. She raised a brow as she read the name out loud to herself.

"Hot Trots? Really?" The bunny couldn't help but smirk in disbelief at the name. It sounded like some kind of bowel movement rather than a casino. Nick joined her in looking up at the sign, though he had been familiar with the name already.

"Yeah. Scrofa isn't the best when it comes to naming things. That or he has a weird sense of humor." Nick was strangely relaxed even though they were about to meet with someone he didn't exactly sound too keen on. There were no traces of the fear like when the had gotten caught by Mr. Big's goons back when they had first met. Judy didn't know if he was more confident because they had actual police back-up this time, or if it was for another reason. She herself was feeling a bit exposed, and it wasn't because of the dress. They were going in unarmed, not even allowed to bring their stun guns less they arouse suspicion. Nick had assured her in the car that things weren't likely to get violent as long as they played their cards right.

"Shall we go? After you, my dear." Judy looked over as Nick motioned to the door with a flourish of his paw and she couldn't help but smile.

"Why thank you, Mr. Wilde." Judy teased back while making a show of holding her head high and walking to the entrance. The door was opened and she was instantly assaulted by more bright lights and upbeat music. Once her eyes adjusted she couldn't help but look on with a bit of wonder at the sight in front of her. The carpet was bright red and almost disorienting, but once you got used to it you could see how clean it was. Pillars wrapped with vibrant cloths of various colors were spaced out evenly around the room, giving it an almost palace-like appearance. This was her first time in a casino, and from the name and sign outside she hadn't been expecting something so ritzy. It was admittedly a bit gaudy though still impressive. Especially considering this wasn't even in what was considered the "fancy" part of downtown. Various tables and booths were spread out across the floor on which different games were set up. A card table, a craps table, a backgammon table a roulette table. Everything you'd expect to see in your average casino. One wall was taken up almost entirely by slot machines while another was taken up by a long bar where the patrons could order a drink if they didn't end up losing all their money. The tables were run by smartly dressed pigs, while waitresses of various species dressed in leotards and stockings brought drinks to the tables. Scattered here and there were tough looking warthogs, who must have been bouncers and bodyguards in case things got heated.

"You have a sign over your head that pretty much screams 'country bunny'. You might want to work on that." Nick said as he gave Judy a small nudge, snapping her out of her stupor. Right, they had a job to do. She looked around quickly and was able to identify a rhino sitting at one of the stools at the bar and a wolf at one of the slot machines. She was able to recognize them as two of the officers from the precinct, even without their uniforms. Bogo had told them they would have back-up on the inside so it was reassuring she was able to spot them so quickly. Trying to make herself look more natural, she turned to Nick.

"Right. So, where does Scrofa hang out?" Judy asked her partner, but the fox seemed to be distracted by something. The fox watched as a slim vixen carrying a tray of drinks walked past him before looking over her shoulder and winking while giving a playful flick of her tail.

"You think the Chief would be mad if we had a bit of fun? A few games wouldn't hurt, right?" The fox asked, still looking in the direction the waitress had went. She reached up and grabbed his tie before he could walk off, specifically pulling him in the opposite direction.

"Nick, no." Judy said like a mother telling their child not to jump into a mud puddle. She didn't let go of his tie until the vixen was no longer in sight. Turning around she looked up at her partner with her arms folded, tapping one foot impatiently. "Focus, Nick. We're here to get information." She reminded him. Nick grumbled as he fixed his tie, casting a longing look over his shoulder before turning back to the bunny.

"Hey, waitresses tend to pick up a lot while they're working. Maybe one of them heard something relevant." Nick started to make a flimsy argument but it crumbled under the fierce look of the small bunny. The fox sighed as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Fine, fine. Scrofa is probably in the back, stuffing his face. Don't get lost, Carrots." Nick looked around before motioning for Judy to follow him and moving back onto the floor. Because they were small it was easy to navigate around without too many of the patrons noticing them. Judy raised a brow as they passed a fountain in the middle of the room that looked to be made out of gold and had the appearance of a baby pig with wings with two streams of water running out of its nose. Once again Judy had to question the taste of the animal who owned this place. Before she could dwell on it any longer, she noticed that Nick had stopped walking. They had paused outside of a pair of double doors off to the side of the casino. Two warthog guards were standing on either side of it. As Nick and Judy approached they gave a snort and stepped protectively forward. Instead of backing off, Nick put a smile on his face as opened his arms as he called out cheerfully.

"Rocky! Bosco! The two of you are looking well!" Nick said like he was talking to two old friends. The two warthogs narrowed their eyes at the fox's friendly greeting like they didn't know what he was talking about. Judy opted to remain quiet and let Nick continued to take the lead. Surely he knew what he was doing.

"Customers aren't allowed past here. Go away." One of the warthogs grunted while holding a hoof out, preventing them from going any further. Nick feigned a hurt look as he placed a paw to his chest, eyes wide as he pleaded with the two.

"Come on, you don't recognize me? It's me, your good friend, Nick! Nick Wilde!" There was a tense moment after the fox said his name. The two warthogs just stared at him blankly like it still wasn't ringing a bell. Finally they looked at each other before looking back at the fox. Judy could see the recognition slowly flashing in their eyes. At the moment she really wished she had her stun gun with her. If they reacted as violently as Mr. Big's bodyguards had after they had found the two snooping around in one of his limousines this was not going to turn out well.

"Nick?" The warthog on the left said slowly, like he was testing the name. Nick looked up at him expectantly, arms held open again. The warthog's eyes widened as his mouth fell open slightly. Before Judy could stop him, the warthog had moved forward and scooped the fox up in his arms.

"Let him go!" Judy said as she started to bound forward. There was a sizable difference between her and the warthogs, but she had to do something! She stopped, however, when she noticed something strange. The other warthog was smiling and the one that had grabbed Nick wasn't shouting in anger or cursing the fox. In fact, they were both laughing.

"Easy! Easy there, Rocky! Ow, ow, ow!" Nick groaned in discomfort as the warthog hugged him. Paying no heed to his protests, Rocky laughed happily as he continued to hug the fox.

"Nick! It's been ages! Why don't you come by anymore?" The warthog asked, finally letting the fox down. Nick rubbed his back as he grumbled again, but he was quick to wipe the look of pain off his face and stand up straight again.

"Oh you know. I've just been busy." Nick answered as he brushed himself off and fixed his tie before looking up at the two again. "But since I'm here I figured I'd pay Scrofa a visit. Is he in?" He fox asked, already knowing the answer to his question. The two warthogs nodded eagerly before telling them to wait a moment and disappearing through the double doors. The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard ascending stairs before they faded away completely. Judy looked over to Nick with a raised brow.

"What was that about? I thought you said you weren't friends with these guys." The bunny asked with a hint of amusement. Nick shrugged his shoulders while giving a sly smile.

"They're pretty nice guys, honestly. As long as you don't owe them any money." The fox answered easily, though Judy could feel just a hint of tenseness behind his words. She would have to ask him exactly what his history was with Scrofa at some point. After a minute or two they heard the footsteps descending the stairs again before the doors opened up and the two warthogs greeted them again.

"The Boss is waiting upstairs." Rocky said with a wide grin as he motioned to the two to follow. Once they were through the doors, Bosco made sure they were locked securely before falling into place behind the two as Rocky took the lead. At the top of the stairs was another set of doors as well as two more warthog guards. They nodded to Rocky and Bosco before opening the doors and stepping aside. The doors led to a large room that overlooked the rest of the casino, the entire building visible thanks to a wide window. In the center of the room was a single desk, and it was there Judy got her first glimpse of Scrofa.

Considering all the guards, Judy had expected Scrofa to be a warthog as well. At a glance he resembled one, but upon a second inspection she saw he was different. Sitting behind the desk was a squat boar with brown fur. He didn't glance up at them as they entered the room. Instead he was busy burying his face in what looked like a plate of cheese and lettuce and eating nosily. A black bowler cap rested almost comically on his head that managed to stay balanced between his ears even as he dipped his face down. A brown tweed jacket was stretched over his broad shoulders and an orange, plaid vest was barely buttoned across his chest. It took him a moment but he finally looked up from his food to notice the two guests. The boar blinked several times before a wide smile crossed his face, several pieces of lettuce still caught in his tusks. He focused his attention on Nick as he greeted the fox.

"Nick! What a sight for sore eyes! What brings you to my fine establishment?" The boar seemed happy to see the fox despite what Nick had told them back at the station. Scrofa's eyes went over to Judy, brows raising as he noticed her for the first time. "And you brought company? Who is this lovely lady?" He snorted happily as he got up from behind the desk to walk towards the two. Now that Judy got a better look at him she could see he was shorter than the warthogs but still built solidly. He had a lot of meat to him and had a stocky build, but it was clear most of that bulk was from muscle and not fat. Even the pair of striped pants he wore looked like they would rip at every step he took. When he got close to them he scooped Nick into a hug like Rocky had done earlier. Once he was done squeezing him he looked over to Judy and tipped his hat before grabbing her paw and bringing it to his mouth to kiss it. She kept a smile on her face and tried not to look disgusted even though the boar still had bits of food in his mouth. When he pulled away she discreetly brushed her paw off before looking to Nick. He gave her a reassuring look before looking back to Scrofa.

"This is my good friend, Car...rie. Yeah, Carrie. This is her first time at a casino and I just had to show her the owner. She doesn't get out much, you see." Nick introduced Judy under a fake name without missing a beat. For a second she was confused, but then realized why he didn't use her real name. She wasn't exactly famous, but they did try and make her the face of the ZPD several months ago. She had been on the news as well during the Night Howler incident. If Scrofa recognized her and knew she was a police officer then she doubted he would be as friendly and welcoming as he was now. It was a blessing that he didn't recognize her face. She put a smile on as she gave the boar a polite nod.

"Nice to meet you." Judy said earnestly, causing his face to break out into another wide smile. For a moment she forgot that he was a possible suspect.

"She's a looker, but I didn't think you went for bunnies, Nick." Scrofa laughed as he walked back to his desk and sat back down. "Rocky. Bosco. Bring up some more wine!" He ordered the two guards who hurried to carry out his command. To the other two he motioned for them to bring over some chairs and place them in front of his desk before nodding to Nick and Judy, indicating they should sit down.

"It's been what, about a year now? You should stop by more often, you know. " Scrofa grinned as the two took their seats. "I know we've had some bad business before, but that's all in the past! You made good on your word and paid me back so as far as I'm concerned everything is cherry pie!" The boar continued. Once again Judy had to wonder exactly what Nick's history was with the boar, but now was not the time. Rocky and Bosco returned bringing with them two glasses and a tall bottle of wine. They refilled Scrofa's glass before filling Judy and Nick's and stepping back. The boar was quick to swig his down before looking expectantly to the two. Nick picked up his glass and Judy caught him giving her a look out of the corner of his eye, indicating that she should pick her's up as well. She wasn't sure how she felt about drinking on the job, but Scrofa was looking at the two expectantly. To turn it down would be rude and might blow their cover. So, along with Nick, she took a ginger sip of the wine. Instantly her tongue was assaulted with pleasant sweetness tinged with the slight spice of alcohol. She wasn't much of a drinker, feeling a police officer shouldn't do so, but it wasn't like she had never had alcohol before. Even she could tell that the wine was rather high quality, showing just how happy Scrofa was to have them as visitors. She took several more sips as Nick and the boar began to talk.

"I would have stopped by earlier but I've been kind of busy." Nick gave the boar the same excuse he had given the guards. It was a good thing Scrofa didn't seem to watch the news or keep up with things, or else he might have known that Nick had become a cop. The boar stuffed some more food into his mouth before looking back up, pointing at Nick with another friendly grin.

"You know you're always welcome here. And if you need a favor you can always count on me! As long as you intend to pay me back with interest, that is!" Scrofa snorted with laughter. Nick chuckled along with him, though there was a doubting look in his eyes.

"No, I'm fine. I've been trying to avoid borrowing money from others. Gotta' make it on my own." Nick said the last part in a low voice. Judy watched him as she took some more sips from her glass, using it as a barrier so Scrofa didn't turn his attention to her. She still listened intently as Nick finally closed in for the reason they were there. "Actually, I'm here about a buddy of mine." Nick began, watching the boar carefully for a reaction. Judy sipped her wine carefully as the fox mentioned the animal in question.

"My buddy's name is Antoine. Antoine Aurusen. Heard of him?" Nick asked. Judy's eyes instantly went to Scrofa, wondering how he would react, but the boar's face barely changed. He looked up from his food with a curious tilt of his head.

"Antoine? Don't tell me you're hangin' out with a loser like that." Scrofa laughed, not noticing Judy and Nick exchange a glance. So, Scrofa confirmed that the two did know each other. But what relation did they have and how was Scrofa connected to the assaults? They would have to pry for a little more information. Judy reached for the wine bottle to refill her glass as Nick smoothly moved the conversation along.

"He's been acting a little off lately. I was wondering if you knew anything about that. I mean, a charitable guy like you is always willing to help out, right?" The fox slyly prodded the boar along, using his own ego against him. Scrofa was silent for a moment as he turned his attention back to his food. Judy's attention continued to jump back and forth between the two. It was like watching a cop drama on TV and was making her feel a bit dizzy. Without thinking she continued to drink more wine, not even noticing that she had downed about half the bottle on her own.

"Look, you shouldn't be hanging around a loser like that, Nick. Those that don't make good on their dues are trash!" Scrofa finally said as he looked up from his plate. His jovial expression had finally dropped and he was looking at Nick seriously. "Bad things happen to guys like that, Nick. I'm sure you know that already." The boar said in a low voice. Nick kept his cool, however, matching Scrofa's gaze evenly.

"Something bad happened to him already." Nick responded, causing a bit of interest to flash across the boar's face.

"Oh yeah?" Scrofa questioned, trying not to sound interested as he picked at his food. The ZPD hadn't made it public that they had made an arrest yet, so what he was about to say next was a gamble.

"He's in jail. He got busted for assaulting a deer." Nick dropped the information heavily. The news caused Scrofa to pause for a half second like he hadn't been expecting it, but the boar quickly shrugged his shoulders as if to say he didn't care.

"Did he now? How sad." Scrofa snorted as he looked back to Nick. "He should count himself lucky. He owed me some money and it didn't look like he'd be able to pay it back in time." The boar's voice took on a dangerous edge as he looked at the fox. "You know what happens to guys that don't pay me back, Nick." The boar was squeezing his wine glass tightly. It shattered into pieces with his next declarement; "They get turned into slop!" The boar said loudly, paying no attention to shattered glass.

"Slop! Ahahaha!"

Nick and Scrofa looked over at the source of the sudden laughter. Judy pounded a fist against the desk as she continued to giggle. Nick looked confused for a moment as he stared at his partner before noticing the light blush on her face and that the wine bottle that had been placed on the desk was empty. Had she finished the entire thing on her own? The fox sighed as Scrofa began to laugh loudly while holding his stomach.

"Hahahaha! She's a real keeper, Nick! You know bunnies aren't good at holding their alcohol!" The boar roared with amusement as Nick gave a strained smile. How was he going to explain this to Bogo? It was about time to bow out.

"If you'll excuse us. I should get her home before she passes out. You know how bunnies are." Nick apologized as he helped Judy out of her chair. Thankfully the bunny was smaller than him so it was easy to wrap an arm around her and keep her balanced even as she swayed drunkenly. Scrofa looked a bit disappointed that they were leaving early, back to his friendly mood.

"No problem. Stop by if you're in the neighborhood again." The boar called after them as they began to head to the door. About halfway to the door Nick paused, however.

"Oh, that reminds me of another buddy of mine." The fox said as he looked over his shoulder. "Goes by the name Hornsby. Seen him around lately?" Nick asked. Again the boar gave a curious tilt of his head before answering.

"You know Hornsby? He was here a couple of days ago. Want me to let him know you stopped by?" Scrofa answered, not seeing the twinkle of victory in the fox's eye.

"No, that's alright. I was just wondering how he was doing. Come on, Carrie. Let's get you home." Nick said as he continued to help Judy to the door.

"But I'm not ready to leave yet! We haven't even played any games yet." The bunny whined as she was dragged out of Scrofa's office.

* * *

"I'll comment on her later. Did you learn anything?" Bogo raised a brow as he looked at Judy who was slumped against Nick's shoulder and snoring lightly. He had been waiting for them in a car outside but hadn't expected one of them to be passed out drunk when they returned. At least not Judy. Nick just have a vague shrug. "Don't blame her. It was an unavoidable hazard of the job." He defended his partner before getting serious as he looked at the Chief.

"Anyway, I think I'm starting to get an idea about what's going on here."

Bogo listened carefully as the fox began to explain his theory. All the while Judy continued to sleep peacefully.

* * *

 **A/N: 100 followers! That's like a new record for me. Thanks for all the views and comments!**

 **This chapter came a bit early and was originally a lot longer, but I decided to break the events up into two chapters instead of cramming them into one as I felt the pacing would be better that way. I also wasn't feeling well enough to type everything out at once. Friday night I think I caught some kind of stomach bug so I had to stay home and cancel my weekend plans. I spent most of the last few days laying down and feeling like I was going to throw up. It would pass for small period and I would feel fine only for it to come back once I started working on something. So I was kind of fading in and out for this chapter. It actually went through a bit of a re-write from my original plan, but hopefully it turned out more entertaining.**

 **I'll be going back and editing previous chapters for spelling errors and the like probably in the next day or so. I try to be conscious errors but I think my mind glosses over them even when I re-read because I'm seeing what I want to see. I promise I'll make more of an effort going forth!**

 **I've gotten several questions and comments that I'll formally address in the A/N of the next chapter. I'll try and answer the best I can without spoiling anything. Next chapter should be out sometime this week though I can't give a certain day, especially if my stomach keeps bothering me.**

 **Again, if you have any questions, comments, or advice be sure to leave them in a review or send me a PM!**


	5. Chapter 4-2

**A/N: I just realized that the previous chapter was missing a big chunk from it that I didn't notice until I was reading over it again today. I was switching between google docs while writing the previous chapter and I guess I ended up getting mixed up and adding the ending section to a different document. Which is why the last chapter seemed like it ended so abruptly. Thankfully it wasn't lost completely and I was just able to copy-paste most of it back. So this isn't a new chapter, but rather a continuation of 4. Sorry about that. The next actual chapter will still be coming later this week!**

* * *

"Niiiick. Where are we going? We still have a case to solve!"

Nick listened to his partner whine in disappointment as she shifted in his arms. Re-adjusting his grip for what had to have been the fifth time, he continued to help Judy climb the stairs leading to her apartment.

"Yeah, yeah. We'll get to it as soon as you're actually sober enough to focus." He assured her while patting her head playfully. He still couldn't believe the bunny had actually gotten drunk. He knew it wasn't her first time having alcohol. They had gone out for a few drinks with some others from the department after a Gazelle concert once and she had seemed fine then. The wine Scrofa had prepared for them must have been imported. The boar was always trying to impress people with his money, hence the whole gaudy layout of his casino. Judy frowned up at him as he patted her head.

"I am sober!" She demanded with a stamp of her foot, but seeing as how even that almost made her lose balance it wasn't a very convincing argument. "Just a little tired is all." The bunny mumbled as Nick opened the door to the main building and helped her inside.

It was late. Bogo had graciously offered to drive the two home following the debriefing and had dropped them off outside of Judy's apartment. That was about the extent of the Chief's kindness, ready to leave it at just that. Nick had told him he'd make sure Judy got to her room safely but the buffalo had shown little concern. He did, however, warn Nick that the two of them had better show first thing in the morning as usual. The fox felt that there was some kind of implication there but had chosen to ignore it. What was he expecting them to do anyway? The thought of taking advantage of his partner in any condition was the last thing on his mind. He respected her way too much to think about anything like that.

"Really, Nick. I'm fine." Judy protested again as he led her down the hallway. Her voice was starting to return to normal and she didn't look as unsteady as before, but it didn't look like the alcohol had cleared her system completely yet. Nick was thankful the bunny didn't seem to be a wild drunk. The thought of an out of control Judy was enough to make him suppress a shudder.

"Fine, if you say so." The fox said as she squirmed in his grasp. He released her and she stumbled forward but managed to catch herself before she could fall over. Nick watched with amusement as the bunny held her arms out for balance before finally straightening up. "I told you I'm fine." She said with a smug expression, the faint hint of a drunken blush still on her face. Her gloating came to a short end as she tried to take a step forward, only to sway unsteadily and flop forward onto the floor. Nick sighed as he went to help her up. "Bunnies really aren't good at holding their alcohol, huh?" He couldn't help but comment as he pulled her up.

"I don't want to hear it." Judy mumbled in irritation but gratefully accepted his help anyway. She was mostly silent as they ascended another set of stairs. Her room was on the third floor so they had one more set to go.

"I didn't think we'd have to deal with something like this again so soon." Judy said suddenly. For a second Nick wasn't sure what she was talking about, but then she went on. "I know Zootopia isn't perfect, but why would someone actively try and make things worse?" She asked a question that didn't really have a satisfying answer to it.

"You talking about Hornsby?" Nick questioned. After everything they had heard and seen over the last few days it wasn't hard to think that the elk was connected to the cases in some way. His timing was too convenient, and Scrofa had even outed the two of them as being acquaintances. Antoine was probably just some poor fool who had gotten caught up in something bigger, though they didn't know exactly what yet. Judy's nose twitched at the elk's name.

"I understand that prey are often seen as weaker and less capable than predators. The only reason I was put on the force in the first place was because Lionheart was trying to make himself look better." The bunny smirked with a bit of self-depreciation, causing Nick to give her a concerned look. She normally didn't let stuff like this get her down and always had an upbeat attitude. The alcohol in her system seemed to be making her lower her guard some.

"You got where you are because of your own hard work. Not just anyone could do what you've done. It doesn't matter if you're predator or prey." Nick defended his partner from her own words. The bunny had shattered a lot of views about the usefulness of prey in such a dangerous line of work. But she had done so due to her own effort and determination. It didn't matter what species she was, he felt she would have still been just as motivated either way. She didn't say anything in response right away, perhaps taking his concern as pity.

"Anyway, don't worry about guys like Hornsby. Guys like him are only concerned with their own views even if it means throwing everyone else under the bus. He'll get what's coming to him eventually." Nick said as he shook his head. To tell the truth, prior to meeting Judy he wouldn't have been as optimistic. Animals like Hornsby weren't going to go away anytime soon. But if they could prove he had some kind of connection to the assaults then they could put him away personally and hopefully nip things in the bud before others started to buy into his hype and ideas.

Judy gave a chuckle as they started to ascend the last set of stairs. "You got Scrofa to give him up. I guess you are a smart fox after all." Despite being drunk it seemed that the bunny had remained aware enough to remember the conversation back in the casino. At her praise Nick gave a wry smile. Usually he ate up compliments like that, but there was a dull look in the fox's eye as he spoke.

"I'm not smart. I'm just good at getting others to believe me." Nick said with a small shake of his head. Most animals wouldn't know the difference, but they definitely weren't the same thing. Back when he was on his own and on the streets it had been important to get others to believe him, especially since he was a fox and most animals considered them to be naturally dishonest. He wasn't clever as a result of being smart; Rather he had to appear so in order to survive. There was a heavy silence between the two as they finally arrived in front of Judy's door. It was eerily quiet, and even her noisy neighbors must have gone to bed by now.

"Keys." Nick said simply as they stood in front of the door. Judy grumbled as she fished around the pockets of her dress for a bit before pulling out her house keys and raising them to the lock. It took a few tries before she finally managed to slide the key into the lock and open the door. Nick didn't bother to turn on the lights. With his night vision he could see everything fine. Not like the apartment was hard to navigate in the first place. Judy's room was just as small and depressing as ever. "Alright, Carrots. Let's get you to bed." He said gently as he began to guide her to her bed. The bunny mumbled an unintelligible answer, her fatigue getting to her from the alcohol. A cold shower would probably have done her good right now but the process of getting her into one was a landmine the fox was trying to avoid.

"M'not sleepy. Gotta...write...report…" Judy weakly protested as Nick helped her onto her bed. "Just call it a night, Carrots. I can only imagine the hell you're going to have to deal with in the morning." Nick said with genuine sympathy. He did not envy the hangover his partner would have to deal with. The moment her head hit the pillow the bunny rolled over and tried to get comfortable. For a brief moment he grappled with the idea of helping her change into something more suited for sleeping in, but common sense and logic won out once more. She would be fine. It looked like she was getting comfortable enough anyway. "Sleep tight, Carrots." The fox said as he started to turn around. Before he could walk away, however, a small voice stopped him.

"Nick."

The fox paused as he felt something tug on the back of his jacket. He turned around to see Judy looking up at him with half-closed eyes. It looked like she would nod off at any second. He could make out her purple eyes even in the darkness, and for a moment she didn't say anything. Just when he was about to ask her what she wanted the bunny spoke again.

"I trust you."

It was a simple statement, and for a moment he thought she was just babbling in a sleepy daze and was about to make a sarcastic comment. But he caught her eyes again and stopped himself, seeing the sincerity within them. She was being completely honest, a sign of their mutual respect and trust for each other. It had been a long time since someone had told them that and fully meant it. He suddenly felt a bit awkward as he scratched the back of his neck and looked away.

"Hopefully you don't come to regret that, Carrots." The fox said in a voice so low it could barely be considered a whisper. He didn't get a chance to hear her reaction to that statement. When he looked down again the bunny was breathing lightly, soundly asleep. He watched her for a moment before giving a sigh. Sitting down, he leaned his back against the bed and listened to his partner's peaceful breathing. He'd stay for a bit just to make sure she didn't wake up and need a glass of water or something. But then he really needed to get home so he could get some sleep himself. He leaned his head back to stare up at the ceiling, a small smile on his face as he recalled his partner's words.

"Thanks, Judy."

He said gratefully, but his only response was the bunny turning over as she continued to sleep.


	6. Chapter 5

" _Mr. Hornsby, what do you have to say about the upcoming case and the allegations against your client?"_

 _A female leopard reporter held her microphone in the direction of a sharply dressed elk who looked at her kindly. The elk was a bit on the young side but was already an accomplished lawyer who had emerged victorious in most of his cases up to this point. There was a certain humbleness and optimistic air about him, the kind you usually only found among those who grew up in small, trusting communities. A small town lawyer that had moved to the big city. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence, but many were often crushed down by the more well-versed city lawyers who were used to spinning things in the favor of their client, more accustomed to the views and thoughts of their fellow city dwellers. The case the elk had taken on at the moment was an especially high profile one. A case that had tensions running high from the very beginning. If he could win it then no doubt his strength in his career would be made clear to everyone that studied the law. Any sensible lawyer would have turned away from the almost impossible wall they had to climb, but he had taken it eagerly. Perhaps it had confidence, or perhaps just naivete. Maybe even a little bit of both. Whatever the reason, the elk looked relaxed as he answered the reporter's question, like he victory was already assured._

" _Of course a case like this is one that raises a lot of flaaags. Those against my client are already convinced he's guilty just because of what he is. In a society that vaaalues fairness and justice, that's something that's absolutely not acceptable."_

 _The elk spoke with strong conviction. Some may have thought that he was just showboating for the cameras, but there was a distinct flame in his eye that mirrored the justice he spoke of. It was the look of someone that completely believed in what they stood for and wouldn't back down easily on their views. The reporter interviewing him gave her colleagues a few moments to write down the elk's words for later print before asking him some more questions._

" _And what do you say to those who say your client is a threat to the safety of prey and needs to be locked up forever?" The leopard asked. The question caused the elk's eyes to narrow slightly, a pitying look entering his gaze as he frowned with distaste._

" _My client should not be judged baaased on the fact that he's a predator. Zootopia operates under the basis that everyone is considered and treated equally. One's species should not be a predetermined indicator or their likelihood of guilt. After all, aren't we all animaaals? What truly makes us different at our core?"_

 _The reporters talked amongst themselves as they hurried to write down his words. All the while the elk continued to smile kindly at the cameras, still full of confidence and resolve…_

The image on the television screen reflected off of Hornsby's glassy eyes like a mirror. The elk was wearing a robe and sitting on an armchair, watching the screen with a blank expression. The recorded interview carried on for several more minutes, the elk on screen calmly answering any questions he was asked. It was obvious that he was the elk being interviewed on the recording. It had been ten years since then but the resemblance between the elk on screen and the one watching it was clear. The biggest difference between them, however, were their eyes. The Hornsby that sat in the chair right now was certainly older and more world-weary, the signs of age on his face and in his general demeanor. But what set him apart the most from his past self was his eyes. Unlike the elk being interviewed on screen, full of optimism and vigor, Hornsby's eyes only reflected a murky pool of weariness and cold judgment, like one that had given up on everything around them. It was a far cry from the noble sounding elk on screen.

The interview wasn't quite over yet, but Hornsby reached over and grabbed the remote, turning the television off. He knew the entire recording word for word. For the last ten years he had watched it every morning without fail. It was a bit of a ritual of his and he felt he couldn't start the day without it. Some animals thought that you could never move forward if you were always looking at the past, but not him. The past was what drove him to get up every morning and continue to do what he believed in. It was still early in the morning but he would have to start getting ready in order to get to his office on time. Standing up, the elk headed towards the bathroom that branched off from his room. The room he had been in was quite spacious. Certainly more room than a single elk would need all alone. The large, king size bed on the middle of the room was clearly meant for more than one animal. One side of the bed hadn't been made up yet, but the other side looked completely untouched, like he had only slept on one side even though he had the entire bed to himself.

Hornsby flicked the light on as he stepped into the bathroom, letting his robe fall to the floor in the process as he headed towards the shower. On his way there, however, he stopped to face a large mirror over the sink. He stared at his reflection silently like he was searching for something. He was nearing his forties and physically he was quite healthy and in shape. If those two officers could see him now no doubt they would wonder even more how he had allowed himself to be "threatened" by someone half his size, predator or not. Nothing seemed to be wrong with him physically, though something did stand out on his body.

Four jagged scars ran from the elk's left shoulder all the way down to his right thigh. Whatever caused the wounds had dug so deeply into the elk's skin that the fur had never grown back over them. It looked horrible, but the scars didn't cause him any pain anymore. Whatever discomfort they caused now was completely mental, though many would argue that made them much harder to bear.

Hornsby stared at his reflection for a moment more before turning away silently and stepping into the shower. There was no more time to waste. He had a lot to do today.

A half hour later the elk sat fully-dressed at his kitchen table, a light breakfast in front of him. He was still alone, yet the table was set for three. It was too early to have any visitors and he had only prepared enough food for one, yet there were plates and silverware set-up for two others, complete with napkins and cups. The utensils were polished and neat, indicating that they hadn't just been left sitting there because the elk couldn't be bothered to put them away. Just like watching the recording every morning, this was also part of his daily ritual. Unless he set the table for everyone he couldn't start his day, even if he was the only one there.

Hornsby's quiet breakfast was interrupted by the sound of his phone vibrating. The elk picked his phone up and answered without looking at the number. "Hornsby speaking." He answered simply and was then greeted by the voice of his secretary. She called him every morning about this time to outline his schedule for the day as well as let him know if anything had popped up overnight. Being a lawyer and the leader of PAPA meant he often had a lot on his plate nearly every day.

"I understaaand, thank you. I'll be there soon." The elk thanked his secretary before hanging up and tucking the phone into his pocket. Breakfast finished he quickly cleaned his dishes before carefully putting everything away, including the other dining sets. He had to meet with a client that morning and then there was a rally planned for later. Another busy day, as usual. But today was going to be a bit different than usual. With everything cleaned and put away, Hornsby straightened his tie before heading to leave his home. Today was a big day.

Today was the day the citizens of Zootopia would start to open their eyes.

* * *

"Morning, honey bun! Ready to get the day started?"

Judy blinked slowly at the infinitely cheerful voice of her partner as she looked up at the fox. Normally she would have returned her friend's greeting cheerfully, but this morning she was in no mood for his antics. No doubt the pounding headache she had was the cause of her current irritation. It was 7AM which meant it was time for them to head to the station. Judy was an early riser. Waking up early was a habit that had stayed with her from childhood, often having to get up early to help her parents with farm work while she was growing up. It worked well with her peppy attitude and determination, always ready to face each day full of confidence and cheer no matter what. It was rare she slept in past 6AM, but even getting up before that had no effect on her spirit. By 6:30 she was usually washed, dressed, and ready to start the day. Not this morning, however.

Judy's ears drooped so low behind her that they were touching her shoulders and it didn't seem like she even had the energy to perk them up. Her eyes were slightly tinged with red and there was a constant pitter-patter in her head that reminded her of all her brothers and sisters running around at once. This was exactly why she didn't drink, and she was upset at herself that she was even dealing with a such a thing in the first place. Part of her had thought of blaming Nick for bringing her to such a place, but she knew it wasn't the fox's fault. And they had gotten some good information anyway. Despite her current state, she remembered the events of last night quite clearly. Up until she had passed out on her bed anyway. Her parents would have probably had a heart attack if they knew she had passed out with a fox in her room. But by the time she had woken up that morning Nick was nowhere to be found. This was her first time seeing him again since last night.

"You look rough, Carrots. Didn't get enough sleep last night?" Nick grinned widely as his eyes twinkled with amusement. He was completely loving the situation, much to Judy's chagrin. Their usual role had been reversed. The fox was the one who had came knocking on her door this morning instead of the other way around. That meant he must have gotten up especially early just to meet her for the sole purpose of poking fun at her current condition. The bunny wanted to get back in bed and curl up under the blanket, but that simply wasn't an option. No matter how bad she was feeling she still had a job to do, especially now that they had some new leads. Judy took a deep breath, trying to clear her head as much as possible before forcing a small smile on her face as she looked up at her partner.

"I'm going to assume one of those are for me, right?" Judy asked as she caught sight of what the fox was holding. In each paw he had a styrofoam cup, no doubt filled with coffee based on the logo printed on them. Even if he couldn't resist messing with his partner, the fox still had enough compassion to try and help her out a bit. Judy gratefully accepted the cup as it was given to her, the fresh aroma of the coffee already helping to clear her head a bit. She took a small sip and felt the warm beverage spreading throughout her small body, giving her a much needed boost of energy. She wasn't back up to one-hundred percent yet, but by the time they got the station she probably would be recovered enough to focus fully on the day's work. She was in the middle of taking another sip when Nick held something else out to her.

"You might want to take these too." The fox said while holding something out to his partner, an amused smile still on his face. It took Judy a second to realize what he was offering her as they started to walk down the hall. It was a pair of shades, not unlike the ones that were currently balancing on his own forehead. She raised a brow at them. She knew Nick wore his shades not just as a fashion statement, but because his eyes were sensitive to bright light. As a bunny she didn't share that same problem though so she couldn't figure out why he was offering her a pair at first. She waved them off gently before taking another sip of her coffee and answering.

"I'm fine. Those aren't really my style." Judy politely declined the offer. She had been expecting that to be the end of if, but Nick was strangely insistent as he held the shades out again.

"I really think you should put these on, Carrots." The fox offered again, his smile fading slightly as he put a bit more force into his voice. His insistence was confusing. Why was he so set on her wearing them? She could already imagine the ridicule they'd get if they walked into the station wearing matching shades. Once more Judy shook her head as she denied the gift. Nick gave her a concerned look before shrugging his shoulders as if to say 'suit yourself'.

"Seriously, Nick." The bunny started to say as she pushed open the door leading outside. "I'm fi-"

The words never left her mouth. Judy's eyes were suddenly assault by a flash so bright she thought the headlights of a car was heading straight towards her. Her large pupils constricted to try and filter some of the light, which was so intense that she felt like she had been kicked in the head. Her room didn't let much light in even with the blinds open so she hadn't noticed anything wrong that morning. Was the sun always this bright!? Judy let out a squeak befitting of a rabbit as she squeezed her eyes shut and blindly retreating backwards into the shade of the building. Now she realized why Nick had tried to give her the shade. It was to protect her eyes which were sensitive to light at the moment because of her hangover. In the safety of the shade she put her coffee cup down and alternated between rubbing her eyelids vigorously and blinking rapidly until her vision gradually came back. When she could finally see again she was greeted by the sight of the pair of shades being held out to her again. She looked up to see Nick's smug face as he waved the shades in front of her.

"Now do you want these?" The fox asked teasingly. With a sigh of defeat Judy snatched the eyewear from the fox and hurriedly put them on, eyes still stinging slightly from her close encounter with the sun.

* * *

Clawhauser had been munching away happily on his morning donuts when Judy and Nick finally strolled in around their usual time. He raised a paw to greet them, putting a bright smile on his face as he called out.

"Hey you...two…" The cheetah trailed off as they got closer to the desk and he got a better look at them. He looked between the two several times before finally noticing what was different. As he did, a wide grin slowly spread across his face as he pressed his paws to his mouth, letting out a delighted squeal.

"Oh...my...goodness! You two are even dressing the same now! That's so adorable!" Clawhauser gushed like a giddy child at their matching eyewear. Judy sighed as she watched the receptionist pull out his phone and aim it at them.

"I have to get a picture of this! Hold still!" Clawhauser said excitedly as he readied the camera on his phone. Before Judy could even protest he had already snapped several pictures and was giggling over them. This was going to be a long day, she could feel it. One of her ears had perked up enough to swivel over slightly as she caught her partner's words.

"Should have listened to me earlier, Carrots." Nick said smugly, causing the bunny to groan in annoyance.

"The sun is a jerk." Judy mumbled as she reached up and closed her eyes before taking the shades off and putting them in her pocket. Slowly she opened her eyes, letting out a relieved sigh as the lights in the station weren't enough to cause any pain. The headache she had was starting to go away as well. Just as she suspected she would probably be back in top shape in another hour or so. The bunny patted her cheeks and shook her head to psyche herself up before standing tall, ears springing to attention. There was no more time to keep complaining. It was time for work!

"Come on! Let's go grab our seat!" Judy said with a smile as she looked over at Nick. Briefing for the day would start soon and then they had a lot to tackle. They weren't in any danger of being late, but the bunny was off with a hop and skip anyway. Nick gave a small smile before hurrying after his partner, glad she almost back to normal. Clawhauser didn't even notice as the two left, still fawning over the pictures of them he had taken moments ago.

"Let's see how sunglasses Judy looks dancing with Gazelle!"

* * *

"Let's go over what we know so far."

Nick watched as Judy pointed to a bulletin board with several pictures on it. She used the help of an extendable pointer to make up for her short height as she indicated one of the photos.

"Antoine Aurusen, who we arrested already, confessed to being responsible for the attack on Janet Doe three days ago. Though according to both of their testimonies it may have been an accident. A day after Janet Doe was attacked another female prey was assaulted as well. After questioning her she also stated that she had never seen her attacker prior to that day, though unfortunately she wasn't able to remember anything about her attacker. Antoine is claiming he's not responsible for the second attack as well, meaning we have another suspect out there somewhere."

The bunny went over the facts of the case they had gathered so far. For the time being Bogo had given them full reign over the investigation. Zootopia was huge meaning the ZPD was always spread thin when it came to their work, even when they had the assistance from other districts and precincts. Since no one had been seriously injured yet the case hadn't been deemed important enough to assign more than the two of them to it. Judy moved the tip of the pointer to another photo, this one of a familiar boar.

"Last night we were able to find out that Antoine was indebted to Scrofa Higgins, a casino owner known to give out loans. Furthermore," The tip of the pointed moved to yet another photo, this time to an elk they had unfortunately come to know in the last few days. "It seems that Scrofa is apparently acquainted with Charles Hornsby, the head of the prey activist group known as PAPA. Both victims are a part of PAPA as well. When we arrested Antoine we heard him accuse Hornsby of 'setting him up', though he hadn't elaborated on that any further. Hornsby was also somehow aware of the details of the second attack before the information was released to the public. If we look at everything together, it's clear that there may be a correlation between Hornsby, Scrofa, and the attacks. Any questions?"

Judy looked to her partner like a teacher questioning their pupil. Nick had been reclining back in his seat with his shades on, paws folded over his stomach. He frowned slightly at the bunny's questioning look.

"Why are you telling me all this? We've been working the case together this whole time. I know the same things you do." He stated flatly. Judy hopped up onto the table, putting her paws on her hips as she looked at the fox.

"Well of course we know what's going on, but it never hurts to review just to make sure we didn't miss anything." Judy explained. As usual she was the picture of a perfect officer. She turned to look at the bulletin board again, an inquisitive look on her face as her brows furrowed. "Now we just need to find out what connection Hornsby has with Scrofa. They don't seem like the type that would normally be friends." She couldn't see Hornsby getting along with Scrofa considering how outspoken he was against predators. Even Nick looked like he was at a loss for the time being.

"What exactly is the deal with Hornsby?" Judy asked slowly as she turned to look at her partner. Something about the elk was still bothering her. Unlike Bellwether, it didn't seem like his goal was to try and put prey in more positions of power. Rather he seemed to consider predators as threats to the safety of all prey. He wanted them monitored at all times in order to keep prey safe. Even after it was proven that the Night Howlers could bring out the violent nature in prey as well, the elk was set on the fact that only predators were dangerous. Was it simply prejudice, or was there something else there? Nick shrugged his shoulders as the bunny looked to him for an answer.

"I can't say. I never really paid attention to stuff like that before. There's always some nutjob or politician out there that thinks they can change the world for the better and their views are 'right', no matter how twisted they are. Can't keep up with all of them." The fox's answer was tinged with cynicism like it was a topic he didn't like speaking about much. Judy tilted her head as she watched the fox. He had his shades on so she couldn't see his eyes, but she got the feeling that a dark cloud had been hanging over his head the entire time. Before she could ask him what was wrong, the fox offered a suggestion to their current problem.

"We could always just look him up." Nick said as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Judy blinked several times as she tilted her head.

"Look him up?" She repeated, like she didn't understand. Nick stood up from his chair, pointing to a door that led to the station's computer room.

"Yeah, see, there's this thing called the 'Internet' where you can look up information by-" Nick's sarcastic explanation was cut off by a flat stare from the bunny.

"I know what the Internet is, Nick." Judy said as she hopped down from the desk. To tell the truth she had thought about such a thing before as well but hadn't went through it because she wasn't sure if the elk was a suspect or not at the time. She joined Nick as they walked in the direction of the computer room.

"Think we'll find anything on him?" She asked the fox, but he merely gave another shrug in response. Hornsby had only started to get attention in the recent months thanks to riding on the coattails of the Night Howler incident. It was doubtful anyone would have paid him attention before. He didn't seem like the type to be involved in any scandals either.

"Wouldn't hurt to see how long he's been crazy though. Might be interesting to see how long he's been a lunatic."

Nick smirked as they entered the room. Neither one was prepared with what they were about to find out, however.

* * *

" _My client should not be judged baaased on the fact that he's a predator. Zootopia operates under the basis that everyone is considered and treated equally. One's species should not be a predetermined indicator or their likelihood of guilt. After all, aren't we all animaaals? What truly makes us different at our core?"_

Judy and Nick looked on with disbelief as they watched the recording on the computer screen. They had found the interview archived on the ZNN's website for old newscasts by searching for Hornsby by name. He had been a lawyer even back then, but what they were hearing had left them confused.

"Is this really the same guy? This is the exact opposite of what he's been bellowing about the last few months." Nick said as he took off his shades, eyes and ears still focused on the recording. Judy kept her mouth shut as she scrolled down slightly to a section giving more details to the video.

Ten years ago there had been a string of assaults throughout the city. Over two dozen victims in all, and all of them had been prey. The culprit was eventually identified as a male grizzly bear who had been convicted for several other violent crimes in the past. Despite this, Hornsby had volunteered to take the case, arguing that his client was being unfairly judged based on his past actions and the fact he was a predator. It sounded like typical lawyer talk, but listening to the younger Hornsby speak during the interview, it sounded like he truly believed it. The recording came to an end and Judy scrolled down some more. There was a link to another article detailing the case. For some reason she felt a sense of foreboding as she clicked on it. A new page was opened up and she and Nick read over the title of the article together. What they saw made their blood run cold.

"Holy...I never would have thought…" Nick said in a low voice, not a hint of his usual sarcasm or cynicism present. Judy couldn't blame him; She could barely believe what she was reading either.

In silence the two read through the article, the sense of foreboding from before growing more intense by the second.

It was a little past twelve in the afternoon. Around this time those at work would be leaving for lunch. There was a central park in the Downtown District that was a popular place for people to eat lunch or just hang during the day. It was situated close to several large businesses and shopping centers, meaning it got a lot of foot traffic even during business hours. Today, however, it seemed more crowded than usual. The reason for which being the group that had gathered in the center of the park near one of the fountains. It was built to provide a vantage point over the park, meaning it made an excellent platform for someone to give a speech. That was exactly what was going on at the moment.

Charles Hornsby looked out over the crowd that had gathered around him. Closest to him were animals of various shapes and sizes, holding signs and banners that displayed the logo of PAPA. Those holding them all had one thing in common; They were all prey without a single predator among their ranks. The crowd that was watching, however, consisted of both predator and prey. They looked on with expressions varying from individual to individual as they listened to his words. For the most part, however, the same look seemed to be shared among most of them; Disgust, disbelief, anger. It wasn't hard to see why as the elk raised his voice.

"I ask you again, citizens of Zootopia; Will you keep your eyes to the daaanger around you? Will you allow those that wish to do the innocent haaarm to keep walking around unchecked and unmonitored? Wake up! Wake up before it's too late!" The elk spoke passionately, like an army commander trying to spur their troops into action. Ignoring the looks of disgust, ignoring the jeers and boos from the onlookers, he continued to speak.

"Predators only make up 10% of Zootopia's population, yet despite this an overwhelming maaajority of the violent crimes in the city are attributed to none other than predators. Zootopia is supposed to be a place where all can gaaather without fear, but how can we do that when those that threaten to harm us walk alongside us each and every day? The incident of three months ago should have been enough to show you the daaanger predators can bring about when they go out of control. We must be safe! We must be protected! We must open our eyes!"

The mention of the Night Howler incident caused a noticeable stir in the crowd. Once the details had been released and the true nature of the attacks was revealed, the panic had calmed down considerably. But in those days before that came out, the citizens had lived in tense fear that the predators around them could go savage at any moment. Once again it had been put to rest, but it was still a sore spot among some animals. The city and scientists had assured everyone that outside of the Night Howlers there was no basis for any animal going savage. But still, the fear was there deep down. The fear of uncertainty. If bringing that fear back to the surface was what it took to get his point across, then so be it.

Hornsby looked ahead without flinching. Even as shouts of "you're crazy!", and "stop being a fool!", washed over him, his expression remained unchanged. The city needed to open their eyes. Danger was in plain sight yet they couldn't, or rather, they wouldn't accept it. If that was the case...then he would have to make them see. He would make his words reach them somehow. The elk closed his eyes momentarily as if to compose himself before opening them again. They were glassy and hollow, like when he watched the recording of himself every morning. Yet this time they were slightly different. The flame from ten years ago was burning again. His opinion had changed, but his passion hadn't. The scars hidden by his clothes were a constant reminder of what he stood for.

"We must be protected!" He shouted over the crowd.

"We must live without fear!" He continued to shout even as the boos and jeers got louder.

"We must protect what's important!" He spoke as a memory from ten years ago played out in front of him like a movie.

"We must open our eyes!" He kept on, not stopping even as he felt an ache in the back of his mind.

"We must-"

The elk's words cut off as he felt a stinging sensation in his shoulder. Hornsby looked down at his shoulder like he couldn't comprehend what had just happened. Sticking out of his shoulder was what looked like a long dart. The tip had been long and sharp enough to puncture deeply into his shoulder right through his layers of clothing. His secretary, who had been standing next to him the whole time, looked over, wandering why he had suddenly cut off. Her mouth opened in horror as she saw the elk grasp his chest and fall forward. His chest was tightening up like he was having a heart attack. His lungs were constricting painfully, making it hard to breathe. His head was swimming and his vision was going hazy, like he was being held underwater by a powerful force. Was this a tranquilizer?

When she realized what had happened, his secretary screamed. In his last moment of consciousness, he could see the crowd panicking as they looked around for the shooter. Near the back of the crowd he thought he saw a police cruiser pulling up in the distance. Someone else was shouting loudly as they held something up. He couldn't see what was going on, but one of the officers had stopped in the crowd while the other was hurrying towards him. His vision went black before he could get a good look at them.

* * *

Hornsby slowly opened up his eyes only to be greeted with the sight of a pristine, white ceiling. The smell of medicine and iodine allowed him to quickly identify where he was even though he had just woken up; The hospital. He was strangely calm despite the situation, as if it wasn't the first time he had found himself in such a position. He was in a hospital gown and various IVs were attached to his arm. The steady beeping coming from a machine next to him must have been a sign that his condition was stable. His body still felt heavy and sluggish but otherwise he was alright. Looking over he saw that his shoulder was bandaged up. So, he had been shot after all.

"Mr. Hornsby, are you okay?"

The elk slowly turned his eyes to the other side of the room at the sound of a voice. One of his brows raised curiously as he saw who it was that had called out to him.

"You're that bunny from the station, right?" He recognized Judy after a moment as the bunny got up from a chair and walked over to him. She must have been one of the officers he had seen arriving on the scene before passing out. But how had they arrived so quickly?

"The ZPD is quicker than I gave it credit for. It seems I must retraaact one of my statements from the other day." The elk said with a nod, though he still sounded far from grateful. Normally this would have bothered her, but Judy's face remained reserved as she answered the elk.

"We just happened to arrive by coincidence. My partner and I were actually on the way to come ask you some questions." Judy answered honestly. The fact that she had Nick had pulled up right after the elk had gotten shot was sheer coincidence. The elk really should have counted himself lucky.

"That tranquilizer was potent enough to take down an elephant. You could have gone into cardiac arrest if we hadn't been able to get the ambulance there so quickly." Judy explained, watching him for a reaction. The elk hardly batter an eyelid, however, as he answered.

"I suppose I should thaaank you then, little lady." Hornsby said simply, though once more his voice lacked gratitude. There was silence between them for a moment. The elk spoke first as he looked at her.

"Did you catch the shooter?" Hornsby asked the officer. Judy looked like she didn't know if she should answer or not but eventually gave a nod as she spoke.

"A bystander prevented them from running away. My partner is questioning them back at the station now." Again it had been a lucky coincidence they had managed to arrive when they did. Hornsby didn't seem completely satisfied with her answer. She knew what he was about to ask next before he even opened his mouth.

"Was it a predator?"

The words hung heavily in the air. Again Judy didn't know if she should answer or not before finally decided to give another nod. This time her answer caused a wry smile to cross the elk's face.

"Figures. Though I thought if one waaanted to hurt me, they'd maul me instead." The elk chuckled at his own dark humor. Judy watched him carefully. Normally she didn't even like being in the same room as the hateful elk, but now she was acting almost as if she had regard for his well being. Was it because he was a victim or something else? She took a moment to choose her words carefully before speaking to the elk again.

"Why do you hate predators so much?" Judy asked, though she already had an idea based on the article she and Nick had read, but she wanted to hear it from the elk's mouth. He gave another wry smile as he looked at her, like he was mocking the question.

"Do you need to aaask? Look at where I am now." He responded, as if that would be enough. Judy continued to look at him without saying anything. The elk matched her gaze for several moments before turning away. When it didn't seem like he was going to say anything else, Judy spoke up again.

"I...read about that case you took ten years ago. And what happened to you." Judy said quietly, though she nearly regretted bringing such a thing up now. It wasn't a pleasant topic, but she needed to hear from Hornsby himself. She felt it was not only the key to solving their current case, but the key to understanding the elk as well.

Hornsby was still looking away from her. Would he get mad? Would he tell her to get out and that it was none of her business? What seemed like ages went by before the elk slowly sat up. He turned his body so he was fully facing the bunny before reaching a hoof up and undoing one of the straps to his gown, revealing his chest. Judy almost turned away in embarrassment but stopped herself at what she saw.

"Not a pretty sight, is it, little laaady?"

Hornsby asked as he let Judy see the four scars that ran across his body. They had clearly been made by the claws of a large animal. She had an idea what kind too. Hornsy laid back on his bed, not bothering to redo his gown. The elk looked up at the ceiling as he started to speak, his voice far away as he recalled the incident.

"I thought I could help him. I really did. Everyone told me I was craaazy and just thinking about advancing my career. I admit they were right to some extent, but still...I really believed I could help him." The elk began, speaking of the case from ten years ago. Judy listened quietly, not wanting to interrupt him.

"Smoky Samson. A grizzly bear with a history of violence following him. All of his victims were prey. Nothing else mattered, not age or sex. I think he just liked hurting those weaker thaaan him. But I believed he only did so because everyone assumed he was violent from the beginning. That he had never been given a chance. I did everything I could to help him. I waaanted to prove that someone shouldn't be blamed just because they were predator or prey. I wanted him to know that he didn't haaave to let others decide what he was for him. What a fool I was. I couldn't see the danger right in front of me."

Hornsby chuckled with self-derision, like he was mocking himself from ten years ago. His smile slowly faded as the faraway look returned to his eyes.

"And then it haaapened."

The elk said in a low voice. Judy knew what he was talking about before he even told her. It was all in the article she and Nick had read. On the night before the trial there had been another assault. This one the most violent of all. And the victims were none other than Hornsby and his family. He had survived with the scars to tell the tale, but his wife and son hadn't been as fortunate. It was hard to believe even though it was coming straight from his mouth. He had stood up for and defended the bear, and how did he repay him? By attacking him and his family. It was a shocking turn of events, even for those that had been against the bear in the first place.

"Do you know what he said to me when I asked him why?" Hornsby suddenly asked, turning to look at Judy for the first time since he had started his recollection. The bunny shook her head slowly, prompting him to answer for her.

"I can't deny what I am."

He quoted the bear's words from ten years ago in a heavy voice. After that the case had carried on without him, but the outcome was far from favorable. Smoky's new lawyer had successfully opted for an insanity plea, so instead of going to prison, the bear was instead admitted to a mental health facility where he would probably live out the rest of his days in comfort. Justice had not been served by any means. It had been a high profile case at the time, but today barely anyone remembered it. They forgot. They moved on with their own lives. But he hadn't forgotten. Not for a single moment.

After he finished, the silence between the two of them was almost palpable. Judy didn't know what to say even though she was the one who had wanted to hear it from the elk's mouth. She couldn't say she sympathized with him. It was an experience that she hoped she would never have to go through herself. But after finding the story out at least she could say she understood him, if only a little bit. But something was still wrong.

"I'm sorry you had to go through something like that." Judy said earnestly, genuinely expressing her condolences for the elk. Hornsby said nothing in response, looking away from the bunny again. It seemed like she would leave it at that, but after a moment she spoke again.

"I can understand where you're coming from a little bit now. But surely you can't blame every predator based on that. You know they're not all the same." Even after hearing all that she couldn't condone Hornsby's views and actions. What he was trying to do wouldn't make anyone safer. It would just breed more distrust and violence. The elk said nothing for a moment before opening his mouth slowly.

"Perhaps." He began, causing Judy's ears to perk up. She hadn't expecting him to agree so easily. But the elk didn't leave it at that. He turned his head to look at her again, his expression back to it's usual cold appearance.

"Tell me something, little lady. Have you ever been scaaared of someone before. Really scared?" He asked her a question that gave her some pause. Immediately her mind went back to when she was a child and Gideon had pushed her down and scratched her. It wasn't anywhere near the same thing Hornsby had went through but it had been terrifying for her at the time. Gideon had apologized for his actions back then and she forgave him, but that fear was something that had bothered her for a long time. It almost ended the friendship between her and Nick at one point as well. She must have made some kind of expression, because something twinkled in Hornsby's eye as he nodded to himself.

"Most prey can't help but be afraid of those bigger than them. Stronger thaaan them. More vicious than them. The fear you and I felt before...I never want anyone to feel that feaaar again. If it means continuously monitoring those responsible for that fear so others can feel safe, then so be it. It's just a matter of getting everyone to open their eyes." Hornsby declared to the bunny.

So that was his intention. In some twisted way he was trying to bring about peace of mind for prey. Or maybe he was doing it just for himself. Whatever the reason, Judy got a good look at the type of animal Hornsby was. It was a lot to take in at once, and Judy had to stop herself from sighing. Despite all this, everything she had heard and felt, one fact still remained. Hornsby himself may have been attacked, but if was responsible for orchestrating the previous attacks then they still had to persecute him. Proving that now was going to be even harder, however. No one would believe he arranged for innocent bystanders to get hurt after hearing all this.

"I'll let you rest for now, but we'll need to ask you some questions later." Judy said as she headed to the door. She would join back up with Nick and find out if he got anything from the alleged shooter that might help the case. No doubt Hornsby would probably be more on guard now after telling her all that as well.

The elk said nothing as the bunny left his room, his eyes returning to the ceiling once more. Left alone he muttered one thing, even though there was no one around to hear him.

"It will all be over soon. Soon their eyes will be open."

* * *

 **A/N: Again this chapter ended up being longer than planned. It was originally split into two chapters but I decided to keep it as one for pacing sake. I plan to end the story in next chapter or two depending on if I decide to split things up again. Can't give an exact date on when the next update will be up. I'm trying to move into a new place so I may not be able to work on it right away. But I'll try and have it within the week!**

 **Thank you for reading along so far! I know I said I would answer some questions here but I'll wait until the final chapter before doing that. As said before I have two more stories planned after this that will all tie into each other so don't feel bad this is ending soon.**

 **Keeping this kind of short because I ended up finishing the chapter at almost 6AM and am dead tired. Always looking forward to reviews, questions, and comments!**


	7. Chapter 6

"Hey, Carrots! You listening?"

Judy blinked several times as her mind finally registered that someone was talking to her. She looked across the table she was sitting at to see Nick looking at her with an expression of mild concern. The two were dressed in their casual clothing instead of their ZPD uniforms for once, it being a rare day off for them. While the two were dedicated to their jobs, especially Judy, they couldn't work 24/7 without violating some kind of department regulations or just plain working themselves to exhaustion. Mandatory time off was rare, but it wasn't like the ZPD was starved for labor. Still, even the most dedicated officers needed a break once in awhile.

The two were seated in a small smoothie shop that had come to be somewhat of a hangout spot for them after the last few months. Even when they weren't on duty, they often ended up spending the entire day together anyway. In fact, now that Judy thought about it, she couldn't remember a single day going by when she wasn't with Nick. Ever since they had become partners, it was rare they were apart aside from at night when they both went home. She had never really thought about it too deeply before since it just felt natural, but they really did spend a lot of time together, didn't they? That thought had been unrelated to what had been distracting her, however.

"Sorry," Judy apologized to her friend with a small smile. "I was just thinking about the case and where to go from here." She continued to say what was on her mind, expression dampening slightly again.

At her explanation, Nick couldn't help but frown. The truth of the matter was he didn't really like bringing up work while they were off duty. Not because he didn't care about their job as much as his partner, but he liked to keep work separated from his personal life as much as possible. He'd probably go crazy if he had to think about work all the time. At times like this, he'd rather spend them talking to his friend about something more casual instead of having it feel like they were back at the station. Technically they weren't even supposed to discuss on-going cases out in public.

That said, Nick couldn't deny that their current case was still bothering him a bit as well. It had been a few days since the attempted assassination on Hornsby. The shooter they brought in had been identified as a male tiger. Although he didn't have any prior history of violence towards prey or anyone else, the tranquilizer gun he had was illegally owned, so things still didn't look good for him. He had clammed up and asked for a lawyer before they could get any useful information out of him, though with a bit of digging Nick had managed to find out that he had also been in debt due to gambling. It didn't take a genius to figure out who he owed a debt to. It was still a stonewall at this point anyway. They had no evidence that would hold up in court suggesting he was put up to the attack by someone else.

Aside from that, their initial thought that Hornsby and his group were staging the attacks had been dampened a bit as well. The tranquilizer that Hornsby had been hit with was enough to be a fatal dose if he didn't get immediate medical attention. There was no way he could have known the two would have shown up when they did as well to be able to get an ambulance there so quickly. He could have really died if not for sheer coincidence. The thought that someone would go that far to try to paint predators in a bad light was both scary and despicable. Of course, they had both read about what had happened to Hornsby in the past, but to think he would go that far...It was hard to believe. When Judy had questioned him after he had been released from the hospital she hadn't managed to get much either. The elk was a lawyer himself, so he knew how to answer questions without incriminating himself by accident. It was surprising that he had even spoken with her at all. Either he had been incredibly confident they wouldn't be able to link him to anything or he really didn't have anything to hide.

Regardless of if it had been Hornsby's intention or not, the result of the attack was apparent. The attempted murder of a prey by a predator in broad daylight was something that simply could not be ignored, even by those that may have felt the elk had it coming to him. PAPA had gained an influx of new members and supporters almost overnight, and tonight they had a big rally scheduled at Savanna Central. Taking into account the latest attack and previous attacks, the ZPD had no choice but to place officers at the scene during the upcoming rally. Hopefully that would deter someone else from trying to pull something and making things worse.

Right now, however, Nick was thinking about something else.

"Something will come up eventually," Nick said with a shrug of his shoulders. He wasn't trying to be dismissive of his friend's concerns, but there was something else he wanted to talk to her about while they were here. "For now we just have to focus on what we have before diving back in." He was referring to the two suspects they had in custody at the moment. They were just the arresting officers and their jobs were technically done for now. The courts would handle everything else from here on. So while they had this break there was something he wanted to discuss with his friend. It was something he had been thinking about since he had first seen Judy's apartment. She seemed to be making the best of her living space and it really wasn't any of his business to butt in, but as a friend he couldn't help but be a little concerned. Hopefully he wasn't about to put her on the spot with what he was going to suggest next.

"Anyway, Judy. There's something I've been meaning to ask you,"

The use of her real name caused Judy's ears to perk up and stand fully at attention. Nick only ever referred to her by her real name when he was worried or there was something serious he wanted to talk about. She knew Nick was always careful when it came to displaying how he was really feeling, so the rare times he let his guard down around her only showed how much they had come to trust each other. She waited for the fox to continue but before he could a familiar song suddenly cut across their conversation.

"Sorry, Nick. One moment." Judy apologized as she pulled out her phone, the ringtone being the source of music that had interrupted them. Nick gave a small nod to let her know it was okay to answer before kindly averting his attention to his blueberry smoothie so she could talk with whomever was calling her. With a quick nod of thanks for her friend's understanding, Judy looked down at her phone to see who was calling her. Her brow raised at the number. It was one she didn't recognize. As sad as it was, her scope of friends within the city was quite small, meaning she didn't get very many phone calls. Aside from her parents and work, Nick was the only other one who called her, and even that was kind of rare since they met up practically everyday anyway. Well, there was no use debating over it. Without further hesitation, Judy answered her phone and held it up to her ear.

"Judy Hopps speaking."

As Judy answered her phone, Nick tried his best not to look interested in his friend's conversation. Since they were sitting right across from each other, however, it was hard not to pick up on some things. Even with his sharp hearing he couldn't tell who Judy was talking to, but from the bunny's surprised reaction it was clear it was someone she wasn't expecting. The fox pretended to absentmindedly stir his smoothie while watching his friend out of the corner of his eye. Her ears rose up in surprise before subtly lowering back down as she composed herself. Every now and then she would nod while answering in a quiet "yes", like she was unsure about something, but her expression remained calm and collected. He couldn't for the life of him figure out who she was talking to. As he was pondering it, Judy finished her conversation suddenly, lowering the phone from her ear. Nick looked away as she turned her eyes towards him, once again trying to pretend he hadn't been listening in on her conversation. He carefully waited a few moments before looking up to face her, a bemused smile on his face as he raised a brow.

"Trouble?" Nick asked, masking his concern with his usual relaxed tone. Judy shook her head in response, but then she gave the fox an apologetic smile as she answered.

"No, it's just….Something came up. Sorry, Nick". Judy's voice was filled with genuine regret as she apologized to her friend. She valued her time with him and this was the first time she had ever ducked out on one of their engagements early. Whoever she had talked with on the phone must have said something important to get her to bail. She watched Nick for a reaction, expecting him to be disappointed, but the fox merely gave her an understanding smile instead.

"Don't worry about it. You do what you need to." Nick said while nonchalantly waving his paw. He stretched his arms out before sitting back in his chair, letting himself relax as he looked across to his friend. "Besides," the fox said with a sly grin. "This works for me too; It's hard to pick up girls when you have a bunny following you around all day."

Judy rolled her eyes at her friend's comment, knowing he was just messing around with her. "Having me around actually makes you seem more approachable." She teased back. She really did appreciate how understanding Nick was being. She wouldn't leave him for no reason, but after getting that unexpected call there was something she couldn't ignore. Apologizing to him one more time, the bunny hopped down from her chair before quickly heading out of the shop, leaving her smoothie behind on the table. Nick watched her go before letting out a small sigh. Resting his cheek on his palm, he stirred his blueberry smoothie absentmindedly. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk with Judy like he had planned to and it would probably be some time before he had a chance to bring it up again. Oh well. Not one to mope, Nick quickly downed his smoothie like it was a shot of whisky. Getting down from his seat, he leisurely sauntered out of the door as he tried to think of how to spend the rest of the day now that his only friend had ditched him.

* * *

"I must thaaank you for coming on such short notice. I imagine you must be quite busy these last few daaays."

Judy sat quietly with her paws in her lap. She was sitting in a place she hadn't expected to visit again so soon; The office of Charles Hornsby. It had been none other than the elk who had called her about an hour ago while she was with Nick. She had no idea how the elk had gotten her number and would have to look into it later, but right now it wasn't her main concern. Just hearing from the lawyer had been surprising, and when he had told her he wanted to talk to her, she had been even more surprised. He had been incredibly guarded the last time she tried to question him, so for him to suddenly come forward and request an audience was unexpected.

She watched Hornsby carefully. The elk had been released from the hospital a few days ago after it was clear the tranquilizer had completely left his system and he was in no further danger. At the moment, he looked none the worse for the wear. His back was turned to Judy as he looked himself over in a mirror hanging from one of the walls. She still didn't know exactly how she felt towards the elk. Even after hearing his story from his own mouth, Judy still couldn't agree with what he was doing. Trying to prevent fear by breeding more fear seemed like an oxymoron to her. It was crazy, but at the same time it was clear Hornsby had thought about what he was doing at great lengths. His convictions were both admirable and scary.

"Was there something you wanted to talk about, Mr. Hornsby?" Judy asked while still eyeing the elk cautiously. She couldn't imagine him inviting her over just for a friendly chat. When they had talked in the hospital he had been a bit more subdued than usual but had still been far from welcoming or friendly. She didn't think he was going to suddenly come forward and confess to anything either. So at the moment she had no idea what the elk wanted to talk about. She watched as Hornsby spent a few moment moments looking himself over in the mirror before turning to face her. The elk stood with his hooves behind his back like he was about to give a speech, though he was watching the bunny with an unreadable expression.

"I see you aren't with that fox today. You should be caaareful of the company you keep."

Just when Judy thought she could sympathize with the elk somewhat, her mood immediately soured again at his words. She frowned slightly but kept her composure, remembering what Nick had told her before. Guys like Hornsby were always fishing for reactions, and she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was bothering her.

"Nick is my friend. And I think you should be more grateful towards him considering he's helped save your life twice already." Judy answered calmly. Nick was her friend and she wasn't going to let anyone badmouth him without trying to defend him. It had nothing to do with him being a fox or anything. Nick was a good mammal and it upset her when others couldn't see that. She matched Hornsby's gaze evenly, letting him know she wasn't going to back down despite their difference in size and position. For a moment the elk didn't say anything. Judy was expecting him to argue back, so what he asked next caught her off guard.

"Nick, was it? You trust him, don't you?"

She blinked at Hornsby's question, thinking she had heard him wrong for a moment. When she realized he was being serious, she nodded without hesitation.

"I trust him with my life. Not just because he's my partner, but because he's my friend." The bunny's voice was full of genuine conviction and belief. She trusted Nick with her life every day and never thought twice about it for one second. If Hornsby thought he was giving her any self-doubt then he was far from the mark. Again she met his gaze without backing down. Once more she had no idea what was running through the elk's head until he started speaking again.

"During the incident with the Night Howlers, you initially maaade comments about the theory of predators reverting back to their primal instincts, did you not? Do you still believe that?"

The question made Judy stiffen in her seat. Hornsby brought up a sore subject. She had regretted ever saying something like that and inadvertently causing tensions in the city to rise. Not only that but it had almost ended her friendship with Nick. The fact that the theory had even crossed her mind made her feel sick even now. Hornsby was watching her just like he was cross examining a suspect during a trial. It felt like she was walking into a trap, but she couldn't stay silent forever. Taking a moment to compose herself, Judy straightened up in her chair as she started to answer.

"I regret ever making that comment. I spoke without thinking and almost caused things to spiral out of control. I didn't believe it then and I don't believe it now. We can't judge others based on what we may or may not have been in the past. What's important is the here and now and working to make Zootopia a place where everyone can live together without fear."

She knew that everyone didn't share the same opinion and that Zootopia wasn't the perfect place she thought it was as a child. But her dream still hadn't changed. She had become an officer in order to make the world a better place and that was something she'd never give up on. Even if she couldn't change Hornsby's mind she wasn't going to back down. Maybe the elk had had his spirit crushed by the city, but not her. Not yet.

The atmosphere in the room was tense as the bunny and the elk stared at each other. What was Hornsby's goal with asking her these questions? Was he really trying to shake her foundations and make her see things from his point of view, or did he have another angle? For the briefest moment Judy thought she saw something resembling approval in the elk's eyes. Before she could focus on it, however, he had turned around so she was staring at his back instead.

"I'm sure you're awaaare there will be another rally going on tonight. The ZPD was gracious enough to offer security. Seeing as how you aren't in uniform I assume you won't be working tonight?"

Instead of pursuing the previous topic any further, the elk moved on to something else, confusing Judy once more.

"I have the day off." Judy answered honestly, causing Hornsby to give a small nod before looking over his shoulder.

"I see…in thaaat case, I suggest you stay away. I doubt you're interested in hearing what I haaave to say tonight anyway."

A sudden chill ran up Judy's spine at the elk's words. It almost sounded like he was warning her. She didn't have any intention of sticking around to listen to the elk spew more fear and hate at a rally so she hadn't planned to check it out in the first place. But now Hornsby was telling her to stay away almost as if he were concerned. The elk looked down at a watch on his wrist, checking the time before looking back to her.

"I have to start preparing. Thaaank you for speaking with me, Judy Hopps." Hornsby said as he finally turned around to face her fully again. It sounded like he was drawing their conversation to an end. But before dismissing her completely, the elk had a bit more to say.

"What we believe in may be different, but I think our ideals are the saaame. I would have liked to meet you eaaarlier if possible. The Zootopia you envision...I would haaave liked to see it."

For a moment Judy thought she sensed a hint of regret in the elk's words, but he was already heading to the door of his office. He opened the door and looked to Judy, indicating that it was time to leave. It looked like he really had just wanted to talk for a bit, though she was still unsure as to why he had called her. She hopped down from her seat with a nod before beginning to make her exit. As she passed the elk, however, she couldn't help but look up at him with the slightest hint of sympathy in her eyes.

"I don't think you should give up." She said simply. Maybe they didn't understand each other completely, but that didn't mean she couldn't sympathize with him if he really thought they were on the same page. Hornsby was silent in response. With another nod she bid him farewell before walking out of the office, allowing him to close the door gently.

Once Judy was gone, Hornsby let out a small sigh as he walked back to his desk. Sitting down, his eyes went to a photo frame. The picture depicted a female elk with a younger elk, both smiling happily towards the camera. His glassy eyes lingered on the photo for a moment before he managed to tear them away. Reaching for a drawer on his desk, he opened it up and pulled something out as he spoke to himself.

"Give up? Little laaady, I've far from given up."

Hornsby gave a delayed response to Judy's words even though she was long gone. Placing something heavy on the top of his desk, he leaned back and allowed a small smile to cross his face as he closed his eyes. He was glad he got to talk to Judy. He really had meant what he said about hoping he could see the Zootopia she envisioned. Once, in the past, he was sure he had seen the same thing, but that was a long time ago. The Zootopia he had in mind now was something different...even if he wouldn't be around to see it himself.

* * *

 **A/N: I apologize for the delay in updates. Some things have been going on in my life that have made it so I didn't have much time to work on the story though. Long story short, I'm kind of having a housing crisis and need to find a new place to stay. Hopefully things will be sorted out within the next month or so, but I'm trying to keep my head up!**

 **This chapter is actually the first part of the story's finale. I was originally just going to end things with this update but wasn't able to get the second half done in time, so I decided to break it in two just to give everyone something to read in anticipation for the ending. The next update will be the last and will close out this story. As said before this is just the first story out of a planned trilogy, so don't be too sad this is ending! Hopefully I can have the final part up sometime tomorrow, but we'll see.**

 **A big shout-out to dogman15 who edited this chapter for me as well as gave me tips and suggestions for previous chapters as well!**

 **Also it has come to my attention that some people have been uploading this story on different sites like wattpad. I ask you please do not do this without my permission. I don't mind linking to the story on another site but please do not actually upload it under a different account. As of right now I only have this story officially hosted on and nowhere else. Once it is finished I plan to upload it to Archive of Our Own as well. If you see this hosted anywhere else and it's not under my name, please let me know so I can request it be removed.**

 **Thank you again for everyone who has stayed with me this far! I appreciate each and every comment and try to improve with each chapter. Hopefully I'll be able to meet expectations for the ending! There may be a teaser for the sequel as well.**

 **Once again, please leave any comments and questions in a review!**


	8. Final Chapter: At Our Core

Judy stared up at her ceiling as she lay on her bed in her tiny apartment. The bunny's head was in a fog and it felt like she had been listlessly lounging around for days even though she had only gotten home a few hours ago. After leaving Hornsby's office she had thought about trying to meet up with Nick again, but he'd probably found something else to do in the meantime. She would have felt bad asking him to come back after leaving him if he had already been busy with something else, so she had simply opted to go home instead. She knew Nick wouldn't really hold it against her, but she still resolved herself to make it up to him next time they were out and had a day off.

Glancing over to the clock on the bed stand beside her, she noticed the time. It was almost 7:30 in the evening. From what she had heard the rally wasn't until 8, so they probably were still setting up. She didn't know the full details since she wasn't on duty, but apparently the ZPD had arranged security detail to try to prevent any more incidents from breaking out. Depending on the size of the crowd, however, even that might not be enough to stop someone from trying something. She still couldn't believe that Hornsby would risk dying just to make a point. Maybe a part of her didn't want to accept that someone would go that far to push their ideals on others. She had learned a lot since coming to Zootopia and had come to peace with some of the ugliness the city was hiding underneath its welcoming appearance. It may have just been naïveté or dumb innocence, but she still believed the city wasn't a lost cause.

Judy rolled over again, unable to get comfortable. She hadn't even changed out of her casual clothes for the day. Her conversation with Hornsby was still bothering her. Try though she might, she couldn't figure out what he had been getting at with his questions. It didn't sound like he was giving up and he seemed far from apologetic. But while talking to him she had sensed a hint of something else underneath the elk's word. Resignation? Regret? She couldn't quite place it but it was making her worry. Hornsby was completely dedicated to his cause and he had told her he wanted to create a place where prey wouldn't have to be afraid. That meant he didn't want anyone to get hurt, right? She could not imagine what he'd felt after what had happened to him in past, but it was enough to turn the once optimistic young lawyer into a cold and jaded shell of his former self. How far would someone like that go to make others see things the same way he did?

She sat up on her bed suddenly. The more she thought about it the more disturbed she felt. She couldn't shake the ominous feeling that had been creeping down her spine ever since leaving the elk's office. Judy looked over to her clock again. Savanna Central wasn't too far from where she lived and she if left right now she could make it before the rally started. Hornsby had told her to stay away and to be honest he was probably right. She wasn't interested in hearing him slander predators again. Even if she did go, what could she do? Officers were already in place as a safety measure in case things got out of hand, and out of uniform it wasn't like anyone would listen to her over them anyway. She knew her presence ultimately wouldn't help things in the long run. Still...it was better than just sitting around and feeling uneasy.

Without wanting to deliberate on it any longer, Judy hopped off of her bed. She grabbed her keys and phone before heading towards the door. Before leaving she sent a quick text to a certain fox. She doubted he'd want to waste his night off at a rally, but considering she was the one asking there was a good chance he'd show up. Without waiting for a response she hurried out the door, locking up the apartment behind her.

* * *

The sun was beginning to set, adding an almost scenic backdrop to Savanna Central. It was usually a hub of activity during any normal time, but this evening there seemed to be a special whirl of activity that stood out more than usual. The reason for which obviously being the large stage that had been set up. Volunteers from PAPA were still in the process of moving everything together and making last minute adjustments before the rally would officially start. The stage had been purposely set up near Central Station, so anyone coming from or going to catch a train would have no choice but to pass it. A sizable crowd had grown already. As expected, most of the mammals gathered were prey, though at the outskirts of the crowd a ring of predators had started to form as well. As promised, officers in full uniform stood between the two groups. Some roadblocks had been set up as barriers for safety reasons. It was doubtful a full-blown riot would happen, but after the last rally and the attempted assassination of Hornsby, they weren't taking anymore chances.

It was impossible to deny the tension in the air even though the rally hadn't actually started yet. The predators watching were understandably on edge, knowing that in a few moments the slander against them would begin. Hornsby's proposal to have predators collared and monitored had become the talk of the city over the last week or so, the recent attacks only giving him more ground to stand on. Of course the chances of it becoming a reality were still pretty far off. A decision that big would have to go through the City Council and would no doubt require a lot of debate. It would also change the entire lifestyle and interactions of the citizens of the city. It was not a decision that could be made lightly, but the very fact that someone was proposing it was enough to make predators angry. It would be setting back civilization and treating a specific group as if they were just dumb animals.

The energy in the air wasn't lost on Judy as she arrived in Savanna Central. It was enough to make the fur on her ears stand up like static electricity. Her chest was heaving slightly since she had hurried to get there, but she was somewhat surprised to find that the rally hadn't actually started yet. She checked the time on her phone, noting it was a little past eight. She put her phone away as she looked around. What was she doing here? The question entered her mind again as she noted the barriers put in place the separate the crowds and the officers on duty. Her presence here wasn't going to change much. Due to her small size she couldn't even see the stage from where she was standing. Was Hornsby already there? It would make sense that the main speaker would already be on stage since the rally was supposed to start any minute now. She didn't often let her size get her down, but sometimes being so short was a disadvantage. Judy looked around for a moment, trying to find something she could stand on to get a better vantage point. It didn't take long for her to notice a waste bin beside a nearby light post. It wasn't as close to the stage as she would have liked but it would give her a decent view of the stage and the crowd. From there, she would be able to see anyone acting suspicious as well. With a nod to herself, Judy headed over to the light pole. With a quick leap, she landed on the top of the waste bin next to it and then with another leap propelled herself to the top of the pole. She felt a little silly and knew someone would laugh if they noticed a bunny perched on top of a light pole like a bat, but everyone was too busy looking towards the stage to pay attention to her. It looked like things were finally starting. Judy watched carefully as some figures on the stage began to move, keeping her eyes open for anything out of the ordinary.

Surprisingly it wasn't Hornsby who stepped up to the mic. Judy recognized the female doe on stage as the secretary from Hornsby's office. Was she just going on first to announce him or something? An uneasy hush had fallen over the crowd. Even with the added security detail it was still possible something could happen. From her perch, Judy looked down at the crowd. She had texted Nick before she'd left and asked him to meet her there, but it didn't look like her friend had arrived yet. Or if he had she couldn't see him. He would probably send her a message once he arrived if he decided to show up at all. It would be nice to have someone there that personally had her back, but asking Nick to come out here for no real reason was asking a bit much, especially after leaving him earlier. Hopefully this night would be uneventful and she wouldn't actually need him to be there.

Feedback from the mic caused her ears to twitch and she looked towards the stage again. Hornsby's secretary was beginning to talk, formally kicking off the rally. Hornsby himself was still nowhere to be seen and that uneasy feeling started to build in Judy's stomach again. Officers were placed on either side of the stage and there was even one on the stage and towards the back a bit, putting him in a prime position to rush over if something did happen. All their bases seemed to be covered...So why did she still feel so worried? The doe at the mic took a breath before speaking, her voice being projected over the crowd by several speakers strategically placed around the area.

" _I would like to thank you all for coming out and showing your support tonight. As you know, we prey have been the victims of several attacks these last few weeks. While there have been no fatal injuries yet, this can not stand! In the words of our group's founder, Charles Hornsby, we must create a Zootopia where prey will not have to live in fear!"_

Judy listened to the doe's speech with an impassive expression. It was pretty much the same thing Hornsby himself had been saying all along, and hearing it come from someone else didn't make it any less grating. At this point she was beyond getting angry. Getting upset wasn't going to change PAPA's view and if the attacks against them really were legitimate they had a reason to be afraid. She just wished they wouldn't condemn every single predator to their harsh judgement. The officers placed on security duty were mostly predators, even if they were only there because of orders. At some point they had to realize that not all predators were out to get them.

The vibration of her phone caused her to turn her attention away from the on-going speech. She answered without looking at the number, assuming it was Nick calling her to let her know if he had arrived or not. "Hello? Nick?" Judy said the fox's name with a bit of a hopeful inflection. The voice that answered her, however, was one she wasn't expecting.

" _Judging from the noise in the background I assume you ended up coming to the raaally anyway."_

Hornsby's voice greeted her on the other line for the second time that day. She had never expected him to call her twice, much less in the same day. Judy looked to the stage again. The elk had yet to make an appearance, and since he was talking to her right now it was doubtful he was on stage at all. Now she was even more confused and uneasy. Why wouldn't the main speaker be at his own rally?

"I'm here. Sitting around and doing nothing isn't really my style." Judy confirmed. At her response, she heard a small sigh come from the elk from over the phone. She couldn't tell if he was disappointed or not though.

" _Of course not. Little lady, thaaat proactiveness of yours is both admirable and annoying."_

Hornsby's voice carried a bit of humor in it but it was hard to tell if he were insulting her or complimenting her. Again she didn't even know why the elk was calling. His sudden concern over her actions was baffling and she couldn't tell if he was trying to get her to stay away or dig deeper. The elk had made his intentions clear yet his actions were still hard to read. He knew they were actively investigating him yet here he was talking to her almost casually. But where was he? It didn't seem like the elk to be afraid to take the stage again even after almost being killed once, so she didn't think he was hiding. The only way to find out was the ask him.

"Mr. Hornsby. Where exactly are you?" Judy asked, not wasting time beating around the bush. Something about the elk not being present at the moment was setting her on edge. "If you're worried about another attack I'm sure the officers on duty are keeping a look out. You shouldn't be afraid to get on stage." She continued to prod even though she felt fear wasn't what was keeping him away. This time Hornsby actually did chuckle at her words.

" _I'm far past the point of fear, little laaady. The only thing left for me to do is open everyone's eyes."_

It was an ominous statement. One that made her fur stand up. Judy narrowed her eyes as she searched the crowd once more for any sign of Hornsby. The feeling she had was getting worse by the moment. They still didn't have any concrete evidence linking him to any if the attacks, but back in the hospital and in the office earlier that day she had realized just how committed Hornsby was to his cause. When one was committed to their cause there was no telling how far they would go. Bellwether had been a prime example of that.

" _It sounds like you still don't quite believe me. Very well...if meeting face to faaace will help you calm down then I'll tell you where I am."_

As if reading her mind, Hornsby relented to her request. She listened carefully as the elk explained where he was calling her from. Instantly her eyes went to one of the nearby buildings. Most of them were darkened due to being empty at this time, but they all had pretty good vantage points of the entire Central area. Her ears flattened down almost like a deflating balloon as she listened to the elk speak. What he said next made her blood run cold…

* * *

"I'll be waiting then. Remember what I said."

Hornsby disconnected his phone before returning it to his pocket, cutting off his conversation with Judy. The elk was looking out the window of an empty office building. Below him he could see the bright lights and stage of the rally clearly. Unknown to most of the mammals attending, he had no intention of showing up in the first place. After all, he couldn't be there considering what he was about to do next. Everything was set in place. He had made sure not to leave anything behind in his office that would come back to bite him later. One way or another the citizens of Zootopia were going to open their eyes. The light down below reflected off his blank eyes, his stony expression not breaking. He knew what he had to do, though to be honest there had been one thing he hadn't been expecting. And that something was a certain bunny.

Hornsby allowed himself a small smile. It had been a long time since he had seen optimism and hope that matched that of officer Judy Hopps. In his eyes she was naive, innocent, and ignorant to the truth of the city. Yet at the same time, her hopeful determination was refreshing and admirable. Perhaps he could have taken a page from her book and he wouldn't have ended up where he was now. But there was no time for regrets. He had made up his mind a long time ago and the only thing to do now was move forward.

But before that, he needed to see something.

"Judy Hopps. You helped saaave this city once. But let's see if this city is really worth saving."

Hornsby said to himself as he closed his eyes. He had told Judy where to find him already now all he had to do was wait. Of course he knew she would show up. There was no way she could just walk away after what he had told her. She wasn't the one that needed to prove her conviction in any case. No, there was something else he needed to see first. After all, conviction didn't mean anything coming from prey.

Judy looked up at the door in front of her. Just like Hornsby had said, the door to the building had been unlocked even though it should have been closed. That was enough to set off a warning in her head already. Judy's body had been tense ever since she had gotten off the phone. What Hornsby had told her...she couldn't believe he was serious. But the only way to confirm it was to meet him face to face. For a moment, she thought about alerting the officers on duty or at least calling Nick again, but Hornsby had told her not to do that. If he was telling the truth about what he had said earlier then she had no choice but to listen to him. She had been wondering just how far Hornsby was willing to go and she had gotten her answer. Needless to say it didn't make her feel any better. Taking a deep breath to try and compose herself, the bunny lifted a paw and knocked on the door lightly.

"Come in."

Hornsby's familiar drawl answered her instantly, showing he had been waiting for her just like he said. Judy pushed the door open gently, desperately wishing she had brought her stun gun with her. She didn't have a problem meeting the elk earlier, but now facing him alone and with nothing to defend herself with made her feel exposed. She would figure something out if it came to it, but at the moment the elk was in complete control of the situation and she had no choice but to go along with his demands.

Upon entering the room she was faced with the sight of the elk's back. She gently closed the door behind her, not letting Hornsby out of her sight for one second. He didn't turn to face her but it was clear he knew she had entered. The silence between them was so thick it could be cut with a knife. She stared at his back without flinching. What was going through his head right now? Before she could try and pick the elk's mind any further, Hornsby spoke.

"So you caaame alone. Once again, your determination and honesty are admirable." Hornsby spoke without turning to face her. Again she felt the faintest hint of approval in his words, but they were mixed with something else. Pity? Regret? She couldn't quite place it but she knew she had heard it before. It was the same tone a teacher would tell a student when they didn't do too well on a test. _'Good effort, but try again next time.'_ It just made her wonder if coming to the rally in the first place had caused this to happen. What would he have told her if she had told him she wasn't there? It was too late to wonder about that now. The only thing left to do was deal with the here and now.

"Hornsby, what are you planning to accomplish with this?" Judy cut all pretenses and asked the elk outright. She still couldn't believe what he had told her over the phone, but she had no choice but to take what he was saying seriously. A lot of lives were on the line and she couldn't risk doing anything to set him off. Hornsby turned around to finally look at her. Even in the darkened room she could make out his grim expression and blank eyes. It was the face of someone that was ready to do anything for their goals.

Even if it meant hurting those that supported him.

"I believe I explained myself already, little laaady." Hornsby said simply like he was disappointed Judy still didn't believe him fully. His answer caused her ears to lower and her nose to twitch nervously. It was just as she feared; Hornsby was at the point where he wasn't willing to turn back. A low chuckle caused her to stiffen up suddenly, a look of confusion crossing her face when she realized it was coming from Hornsby. When she looked at him again she was surprised to see an expression she had never seen before on the elk's face. Peace. Serenity. He looked like someone who had just completed a lifelong goal and could finally rest. He actually smiled as he looked a Judy. A smile as genuine as the one he showed ten years ago in the recording she had seen.

"That you can still spare a look like that for someone like me...It makes me, happy, really." Hornsby said as he let his shoulders relax. "Even now you're asking me 'why' as if I can still be saved. For thaaat, I have to thank you." There wasn't a hint of ridicule in his voice as he nodded at the bunny approvingly. He sounded so grateful and humble now, so Judy couldn't understand why. The question kept repeating itself in her head until she couldn't help but say it out loud.

"But why this?" Judy asked again, almost pleading with the elk. Hornsby's smile dropped as he turned his back to her again. This time when he answered his voice had returned to his normal tone.

"The only way to get others to open their eyes is to show them the depths of fear. The same fear I felt on that daaay when my hopes and ideals were crushed right in front of me. Until they see thaaat for themselves they won't recognize the danger all around them."

Hornsby looked out the window again, his eyes focused on the rally still going on below. He had founded PAPA as a way for prey to feel safe and to not be afraid when it came to stepping up to predators. A safe place where they wouldn't have to fear, especially after the incident with the Night Howlers. But what did most of them truly know about fear? Had they ever felt that icy claw gripping their heart? Had they ever seen their loved ones ruined and destroyed right in front of them? He could feel the scars on his chest aching as he remembered that day when he had lost everything. Until they knew the depths of that fear he felt how could they truly support his cause? Even now on stage they were probably just parroting the things he had said before instead of speaking through their own experiences. They would need to be able to stand on their own if they wanted to change this city, especially once he was gone.

"Predators are a plague. We outnumber them, but does that even meaaan anything in the end? Should they choose so, I have no doubt of the damage they'd be able to bring about. You know firsthand whaaat happened with the Night Howlers. What would we do if that repeated itself on a much laaarger scale? Even now innocent prey can't rest eaaasy at night after that panic. But others are so quick to forget. And thaaat...is unacceptable."

Judy didn't know if Hornsby was just talking to himself at this point, but he was confirming everything she feared. This was too much. No matter what happened to him in the past how could he be willing to throw so much away just to prove a point? She tried to keep calm, but silently she was judging the distance between herself and the elk. She was out of uniform and she hadn't brought anything with her aside from her keys and phone, neither of which would help if a scuffle broke out. But she would have to figure out something. For now she just had to keep him talking until she could think of something.

"And the other attacks...you were behind those, weren't you?" She had questioned him on it before, but of course he had denied any involvement back then. This time, however, he was singing a different tune. Hornsby nodded his head as he answered.

"If prey didn't believe they were being targeted then they wouldn't taaake this seriously. I was just speeding up the inevitable." Hornsby answered, admitting to the crimes with seemingly no qualms. He shrugged almost casually, as if to say it was no big deal. "Though it's not like the predators I chose were completely without guilt. It was just a matter of finding the ones desperate enough to look for any way out." His words caused Judy to frown, anger building up in her chest.

"You set them up." Judy said flatly. It was barely different from how Bellwether used the Night Howlers to make predators look bad. They had suspected it before, but having it confirmed filled her with a great sense of disappointment. "Doesn't that go against the very thing you're trying to prevent?" Judy asked, genuinely wanting to know.

"Au contraire," Hornsby began with his same dismissive tone. "They were were willing to hurt others just to saaave themselves. From the very beginning they didn't caaare who they hurt. The guilt is still in their paws." He answered easily. As much as Judy hated to acknowledge it, in a way he was right. No matter what arrangement Hornsby had set up with them they had agreed to it.

"What about Scrofa? How did he play into this?" Judy decided to press for more information. If he was talking freely now she may as well see if he would confess to anything else. Hornsby was unfazed.

"Merely a middle-mammal. All I did was find out who had debts they needed paaaid off. My involvement with him didn't go further thaan that." Hornsby answered as if it wasn't his problem. So Scrofa had just been a means to the end, which meant his connection to the case was flimsy at best. So two of the attacks had been explained, but what about the one against Hornsby himself? She didn't know if she wanted to know the answer to that question, but there was no backing out now.

"Don't tell me you arranged to have yourself attacked too. You could have really died!" Judy's voice was full of genuine concern. As much as she disagreed with Hornsby it wasn't like she thought anyone deserved to die. At her concern, Hornsby chuckled again.

"You'd still worry for me even now? Thaaat compassion will come back to bite you one day." Hornsby's voice carried sympathy for the bunny but he didn't turn to face her. But to her relief he shook his head in response to the question. "No, I did not plaaan that. I was not prepared to die just yet, so I really am grateful that you and your partner arrived when you did. Of course I always knew there was a possibility of an attempt on my life, but thaaat just proves my point. And in the end it just helped my caaause." It had been a turn of events that worked out for the best. Dying there actually would have driven his message home further. But he was grateful; There was still something else he needed to do first.

"Hornsby, this is crazy. What happened to you was bad, yes, but why are you going this far? Do you really think this will change anything?" Judy had heard enough. The elk had admitted to enough that she could take him in even if she wasn't on duty. Without any back-up or weapon she doubted he would cooperate, however. But she needed to find a way to put an end to this quickly. If what Hornsby had told her earlier was true things could take the worst possible turn at any second. At her words, Hornsby stiffened suddenly.

"Chaaange?" Hornsby echoed the word in a low voice. Without warning he turned to face her again, but this time he had an expression like one she had never seen before. The elk's face was full of indignant anger, as if she had just insulted him on a personal level. Hornsby had generally kept his cool up until now, but for the first time he looked like he was truly letting his emotions flow freely. She didn't shrink back as he raised his voice, but at the same time she was rooted to the spot as she listened to him.

"Do not speak to me about change, little lady! My methods don't work? I caaan't change anything? Tell me this; can you do any better? You may have saaaved the city for the time being, but don't get cocky, rabbit! You're just another officer among many, and no matter how much you believe it you can't change this city by following the laaaw! The law let the killer of my wife and son walk away with barely any punishment. Is that the same chaange you're trying to bring about!?"

Judy was speechless. Not because she was scared, but because she was just surprised at the raw hate emanating from the elk. Hatred aimed towards a city that had betrayed his ideals and optimism and forced him to the edge. His body was visibly shaking, and had they been closer she would have been afraid that he would have charged or something. But although his heated words were directed at her, she could feel she wasn't their main recipient; He was lashing out with everything he had bottled up for ten years.

"Once you're gone, that's it. You'll die without bringing about any chaaange! But I won't go the same way! I don't caaare if I have to condemn every predator in this city; I'll do whatever it takes to make this city open its eyes."

Hornsby seemed to be coming to the end of his rant. He forced his breathing to return to normal before straightening his tie almost sheepishly. The look in his eyes hadn't changed, however. Judy eyed him steadily, waiting to see if he would say anything else. When it was clear he was done for the moment she finally spoke.

"Maybe I can't change anything alone," Judy answered honestly. Maybe she was just a dumb bunny with ambitions way bigger than herself. But that didn't mean she was going to fall to the same level as Hornsby. She hadn't given up on Zootopia or her dreams. So with that determination in her eyes, she stared at the elk without backing down.

"But I'm not going to turn my back on what I believe. Prey or predator, I'm not going to leave anyone behind just to make a point!"

Judy declared with an intensity to match Hornsby's. The two stared each other down as silence returned to the room. Both of them wanted to see the city change, but in different ways. Hornsby believed that that change had to be built on sacrifice for the greater good, but she didn't believe that. No matter what happened to her she wasn't about to believe that everyone could be judged the same way.

"You're not willing to turn your baaack on anyone? You want to believe that not all predators are the same?" Hornsby asked before turning to look out the window again. Judy nodded her head even though he wouldn't be able to see it.

"That's right. This city isn't as bad as you think it is. That's what I want to believe." Judy answered with confidence. It was an answer that brought another small smile to the elk's face, although she wouldn't be able to see it.

"Very well then," Hornsby said. For a brief second Judy thought he was relenting, but then he spoke again. Too late did she recognize the tone in his voice.

"Let's see if that trust of yours holds out."

Without warning, Hornsby turned around suddenly while pulling something out of the breast of his suit. He pointed it towards Judy before she could react. There was the hiss of compressed air being released before she felt something dig into her shoulder like getting a shot at the doctor's office. It was too late not to regret letting her guard down as she noticed the dart sticking out of her shoulder. A tranquilizer. Already she could feel her limbs getting weak as she tried to lift a paw to pull it out, only for her muscles to go slack and her arm to fall lamely to the side. Next she collapsed to her knees before falling forward onto the cold floor. She wasn't losing consciousness. It seemed like the dosage was meant to paralyze rather than knock out. So she was fully aware as Hornsby started talking again, though she could only move her eyes to barely see him. He spoke as he walked over to her slowly, pulling something else out of his pocket.

"I wasn't bluffing about what I told you earlier; At the moment I have several explosives planted around the site of the raaally. They're potent enough to cause a significant amount of casualties." Hornsby said calmly. Judy could just barely make out what he was holding. It looked to be a small remote control which was probably a handheld detonator. He had told her over the phone to show up alone and not alert the officers or he'd detonate the explosives right away. She had agreed to meet with him to prevent that, but now it seemed like it would happen anyway. Her heart was beating furiously in her chest but with the tranquilizer still in her system she couldn't move. He was standing over her now and it was all she could to do look up at him, his hoof dangerously close to pressing the button.

"But if I were to press the button, it would be meaningless. So, we'll do something else. Let's test your belief agaaainst mine."

Hornsby said as he put the detonator away. Kneeling down, he reached into Judy's pocket and pulled out her phone. He flipped through her contact list before finding what he had been looking for. Pressing the call button, he raised the phone to his ear as he waited for the other end to pick up.

Just who was he calling?

* * *

Nick scratched one of his ears with minor annoyance as he looked around. Just what was he doing here? When Judy had texted him telling him to meet her at Savanna Central he didn't think she was serious at first. But then he realized his friend wouldn't call him out at night for no reason, especially considering what was happening at the moment. Hornsby's latest rally. He could honestly say he had no interest in it which meant he wouldn't be here if not for Judy's message. He was standing near the outskirts of the crowd and couldn't even see the stage, though his ears were able to pick up on the things being said.

"Don't these guys ever give it a rest?" He asked himself with a small frown. Discrimination was nothing he was new to, but hearing the same old song and dance got old after a while. Personally he thought it was stupid that the ZPD had even acknowledged them enough to provide security detail. Whatever attacks they brought upon themselves was their own fault. Judy had showed him that not everyone was the same, but even after joining the ZPD some of his jaded views hadn't completely faded. When he was out of uniform and walking around the city, he still got certain looks for being a fox. Things weren't going to change overnight. He knew that all too well. That's why he wasn't worried about Hornsby or his little group. It would take more than being a screaming moron to change things.

"Where are you at, Carrots? Don't tell me you're standing me up twice in a row." Nick sighed as he looked around, not really listening to the words coming from the speaker on stage. Now that he thought about it, that wasn't Hornsby's voice. Maybe he had missed his part. How lucky. He was getting ready to give Judy a call to find out where she was, but someone else beat him to the punch. His phone began to ring and he pulled it out of his pocket quickly, a small smile on his face as he recognized the familiar number. Without hesitating he answered the phone and put it to his ear.

"It's not nice to keep a friend waiting, Carrots. You're responsible for breakfast the next time we're on duty to make it up to me." Nick's voice was as casual as ever. He wasn't really mad by any stretch, but he knew if Judy was feeling even the slightest bit guilty she would try and make it up to him, so why not push it? He was expecting his friend to shoot an apology his way or joke back with him. So when a voice he wasn't expecting spoke from the other line, his body tensed up. Nick looked around quickly as if it were some kind of prank. He quickly focused his attention back to the phone as the one on the other line continued to speak.

" _Nicholas Wilde, correct? It sounds like you've almost maaade your way to the rally. That makes this easier…"_

The voice on the other line was clearly Hornsby's. But why did he have Judy's phone? Nick knew something was wrong instantly. Keeping his voice calm he spoke to the elk.

"Where's Judy?" Nick asked simply, though it came out more as a demand rather than a question. He hadn't trusted Hornsby since the day he had met him in the station, so him having his friend's phone wasn't a good thing. He strained his ears to try and pick up any background noises on the other end, but there was silence. He didn't hear anyone struggling or screaming for help at least, though he didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

" _The little lady is fine. Though I caaan't guarantee she will be that way for long. If you want to see her, then listen to me."_

Nick tried to keep himself calm as he listened to Hornsby's instructions, his expression growing more grim by the second.

When Nick walked into the room Hornsby had guided him to over the phone, he didn't know what to expect. The elk was there, of course, but that wasn't what he was looking for. Even in the darkened room his eyes locked onto the prone form of his friend. The fur on the back of his neck stood up at the sight, but he kept his expression calm. Both Judy and Hornsby were on the other side of the room. No matter how fast he was there was no way he could get to her without the elk intervening. He turned his eyes back to Hornsby, not wanting to let the elk see how worried he was. Upon meeting his gaze Hornsby nodded approvingly.

"You showed up with no hesitation. You and your paaartner share that at least." Hornsby sounded like he hadn't expected Nick to show up at all, but there was no way he would abandon Judy. Again Nick didn't let his true feelings show on his face, smirking instead as he answered.

"If you wanted to talk we could have done it somewhere better. I know a nice bar downtown that has some pretty cute waitresses. Ah, don't worry. Not too many predators hang out around there." Nick's lighthearted joking seemed misplaced, but inwardly he was scoping out the situation as best he could. Hornsby had told him if he didn't want anything to happen to Judy he had to show up alone and not call anyone else. Whatever Hornsby was planning he was obviously willing to threaten two officers to get it done. Hornsby didn't react to his joke, merely staring at him blankly.

"You would do well to take this seriously, fox," Hornsby said as he reached into the breast of his suit. Nick's smile instantly vanished as he watched Hornsby pull out a tranquilizer gun and aim it at Judy's still body. "The first dosage I hit your partner with was only enough to numb her, but this next daaart has enough to take down an entire family of elephants. The little laaady will be dead in seconds if she gets hit with this one." Hornsby's voice was deadly serious. That was more than enough to make Nick stop with any jokes he had. He looked at Hornsby without any traces of false friendliness.

"What do you want, Hornsby? I don't know what you're planning, but you're crazier than I thought if you think you can get away with pointing a gun at an officer. Or maybe you aren't as good of a lawyer as you think." Nick couldn't help but get one more jab in. Hornsby was unaffected, however. Nick watched as he reached into his pocket again before pulling something else out. With the gun still trained on Judy, Hornsby placed what looked like a remote on the floor and carefully used his foot to slide it across to Nick.

"Pick it up, fox." Hornsby demanded simply. Nick's eyes went to Judy's body again. Seeing Hornsby's hoof move half an inch near to trigger made him sigh, and he carefully picked up the object that had been kicked over to him. He picked it up and looked it over, not able to tell what it was at a glance. Turning his eyes back to Hornsby, he fixed the elk with a stare as he held up the remote.

"What now?" Nick asked in a low voice. As long as Hornsby had a gun on Judy then he was the one calling the shots. Hornsby nodded at Nick seeing he had followed his commands so far. He kept the gun trained on Judy's body without breaking eye contact with Nick as he continued to speak.

"I'll only explaaain this to you once, fox, so listen carefully. At the moment I have several explosives set up around the stage for the rally. They're strong enough to wipe out at least haaalf the crowd and injure anyone else nearby as well. And the detonator to those explosives is in your paw right now."

At Hornsby's words, Nick's eyes widened slightly. He held the remote in his hand with a bit more care, realizing he could have accidentally set off a great tragedy. His eyes went back to Hornsby, full of confusion and frustration. He had assumed Hornsby was crazy from the moment he met him, but this confirmed it.

"I knew you were off your rocker, but blowing up your own followers? I guess you're not the advocate for prey safety you've been presenting yourself as." Nick didn't keep the disappointment and animosity out of his voice. Like Judy, even if he didn't agree with Hornsby he had at least a small iota of respect for what he was standing for in a way. But that had been crushed to nothing in an instant. Now all he felt towards Hornsby was disappointment and hostility. Threatening Judy was bad enough, but now he was willing to kill innocent mammals? That was beyond being an extremist. It was downright crazy. Hornsby's expression didn't break, clearly not bothered by Nick's words.

"I don't care what you think about me, fox. All that maaaters is you can listen and follow instructions." Hornsby said as he lifted his free hoof to point it at Nick. Or more specifically, the detonator he was holding. "I could have set off those explosives at any time, but if I waaas the one to press the button it would be meaningless. So instead, I'm giving you a choice." Hornsby continued, the air in the room seeming to get more heavy by the second. Nick was trying to remain calm but his tail was twitching restlessly and his ears were laid down low. Wherever Hornsby was going with this it couldn't go good. Hornsby's eyes were as cold as ice chips as he went on.

"Your partner has shown me how much she trusts you and that she believes predaaators aren't all bad. But I know what you and other predators are, and I'll prove it tonight. I'm giving you a choice, fox; You can taaake the fall and press the button, setting off the explosives and taking responsibility for the outcome. Or you can choose to walk away and saaave your own hide. But if you do that...you can can say goodbye to this little laaady."

Nick's breath caught in his chest. He stared at Hornsby without blinking, like he was expecting the elk to break out into laughter and tell him it was a joke. But of course that didn't happen. Hornsby was deadly serious, or else he wouldn't have given him the detonator in the first place. So that was his plan in the long run. This would be the biggest attack on prey yet and if they knew a predator had pressed the button things would spiral out of control almost as fast as the Night Howler incident. Nick looked to Judy's body and then to the detonator in his paw. What this really came down to was a choice; Save his friend, or sacrifice her and walk away. It was a trap with no right answer. He frowned at Hornsby, still holding the detonator carefully.

"What point does this prove if you force me to do it?" Nick asked. After all, it wasn't like he was pressing the button on his own accord. It was like having a gun pointed to his own head, meaning his involvement was coerced. It wasn't like he would be doing it to strike a blow against prey. But Hornsby merely shook his head as he answered.

"The reasons don't matter. The result is all I caaare about. Forced or not, prey will see it how they want to. As another predator aiming to haaarm prey. Even if I were to admit to forcing you, you'll still be daaamned in their eyes. After all, who would trust a dumb fox?" Hornsby said with the hint of a smirk. As much as Nick hated to admit it, he was probably right. Mammals were always looking at the viewpoint that suited them them the best. He may have been an officer but so what? There were still those out there who would never trust a fox. Those attending the rally would blame him no matter what, even with Judy's testimony. Still, even if that were true, how could he assist in killing and injuring so many others? They were misguided and their words were hurtful, but did they deserve to die for that?

Nick's eyes went to Judy. But if he didn't press the button then he would lose his best friend and partner. The one that had believed in him all this time without turning her back on him. Judy was the first animal in a long time to extend a paw of friendship to him, and he couldn't just turn away from her. He wasn't ashamed to admit he cared for her more than any of the animals attending the rally. But it was still one life against many. If Judy were gone, would there even be any reason for him to stay with the ZPD? He had just started to get his life back on track but the only reason he had done so was because of Judy Hopps. There was no way he could let her die, much less because of his own actions. Nick's mind was racing. What did he do?

"You're thinking about this quite heavily. Shouldn't the answer be obvious?" Hornsby's voice caused Nick to look up. The elk was frowning slightly, like he had expected Nick to come to a decision already. "Do you want to have the blood of so many innocent prey on your paaaws? Just walk away. You'll lose a friend, but so whaaat? There's no reason to ruin your life over one bunny." Hornsby continued to goad Nick, giving him more pause. If this had been months ago before he had met Judy, he probably wouldn't have thought twice and throwing someone away to save his own skin. He had done it plenty of times in the past before. But his was his friend. His first genuine friend in a long time. He didn't want to lose her now. His hesitation made Hornsby's brows furrow.

"No? Well in thaaat case, blow everyone to smithereens! They don't care about you so why should you caaare about them? All they'll see is a stupid fox no matter what you do, so prove them right!" Hornsby had remained calm up until that moment but his voice rose slightly, as if he thought yelling would make Nick make up his mind faster. Nick's eyes were closed as he tried to think. There had to be a way out of this. The moment he made a choice he wouldn't be able to take it back. It was a life of regret no matter what.

Hornsby's arm was shaking so much he might have accidentally pulled the trigger if he wasn't being careful. It was hard to tell if he would be pleased with any choice Nick made. His eyes were focused on the fox fiercely, like he could will him to come to a decision. The fact that he was deliberating so much seemed to be the source of Hornsby's distress.

"What are you thinking about? The aaanswer should be obvious! Make a choice you stupid animal!"

Hornsby's roared as if he was the one being forced to make the impossible decision. As he did, something snapped Nick back to attention. Nick opened his eyes, staring directly at Hornsby's with a surprisingly calm expression. He lowered the paw that was holding the detonator, his body relaxed as he opened his mouth.

"I know what you think about me...But I'm not going to prove you right." Nick said simply. At his words, Hornsby's paused. He narrowed his eyes as he looked to Nick, trying to understand what he was trying to say.

"So you're going to let your friend die to saaave yourself?" Hornsby questioned, but Nick his shook his head slowly.

"I'm not abandoning Judy. If I did, I'd never be able to live with myself." Nick answered in a low voice. Imagining life without the bunny after they had gone through so much together was something he didn't want to picture. He even allowed a small smile on his face as he thought about her. She was a light he wasn't willing to lose any time soon. His smile puzzled Hornsby, causing his arm to slacken a bit.

"So you'll press the button and kill those that haaate you instead?" Hornsby asked. If he was refusing to let Judy die, then that meant he had chosen the other alternative, right? But again Nick shook his head and denied the claim.

"I won't do that either. Maybe you're right….those animals down there most likely don't care about me at all and would be glad to blame me or some other predator for all of this." Nick's tone and expression darkened for a second, but then he shrugged his shoulders and a relaxed look returned to his face. "But so what? I'm not going to let you or anyone else decide what I am. And even if the entire world thinks I'm just a 'stupid fox', I don't care," He paused to look at Judy's body again before looking back at Hornsby, not a sense of hesitation or regret on his face.

"Because there's someone who has my back no matter what. So I won't give up, because that's not what she would want."

With that, Hornsby watched as Nick knelt down and gently placed the detonator on the floor before standing up again and taking a step back, indicating he was going to have no part in Hornsby's scheme. Hornsby looked at him steadily, eyes still narrowed and gun still pointed at Judy.

"You realize you're letting your friend die, right?" Hornsby said in a warned in a low voice, but Nick shook his head. Against all odds he had a confident grin on his face as he looked at Hornsby.

"I said I wasn't going to abandon her either. I'll figure something out." Nick answered without a shred of doubt. Though at the moment it was hard to imagine what. The distance between them was too far to cross fast enough to disarm Hornsby, and if he was telling the truth about the tranquilizer dosage he wouldn't be able to get her to the hospital fast enough to counteract it. But still he didn't give up or fall into turmoil. Whatever it took, he would save his friend and partner.

There was silence between the two as they looked at each other. Nick had denied both of the options given to him. Since he had put the detonator down that meant Hornsby could have shot Judy at any time, yet the elk's arm remained still. It had appeared there could only be one of two outcomes to the situation, but Nick had just presented a third one. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, as if the room they were in was closed off from the rest of the world. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Hornsby let out a sigh.

"I understaaand."

Nick watched as Hornsby lowered his arm and stepped back away from Judy. The moment he did so Nick rushed over, kneeling down beside his partner and turning her body over.

"Judy!" He called the bunny's name as he looked down at her with worry. She blinked her eyes several times as she looked up at him, relief shining in the purple orbs, but it seemed that the tranquilizer hadn't worn off enough to allow her to speak or move yet. Nick's face was full of relief to see she was alright.

"She should be baaack to normal shortly. I suggest the two of you leave now." Hornsby spoke as he walked over to a desk in the room and sat down, placing the gun in front of him. The elk's face had returned to its usual blank expression but something about him was different. His entire demeanor was that of someone who had been completely defeated. Yet despite this, as he watched Nick throw Judy's arm over his shoulder and help her up, he couldn't help but smile.

"It seems you were right, little laaady; There are some things still left to believe in." Hornsby said in a voice so low that even with their sharp hearing they wouldn't be able to pick up on it. He watched as they neared the door, Nick stopping for a moment to quickly pick up the detonator. Hornsby nodded at the action with a bit of amusement before speaking.

"You can inform the officers below about everything. I won't leaaave here. One has to be responsible for their actions, after all." Hornsby sounded resigned to turn himself in even though it would just be their word against his. Nick looked over his shoulder at the elk who was sitting at the desk quietly before exiting the room with Judy. Once they were gone, Hornsby let out a sigh as he leaned back in the chair. He let his shoulders go slack as he closed his eyes, like he was resting for the first time in years. In his mind an image was beginning to form. One from a time long ago when he could still smile without fear.

" _Papa. It's your job to stop the bad guys, right?"_

 _Hornsby looked down at his young son, smiling at the question. He gave a small chuckle as he patted the young elk's head and answered._

" _It's my job to defend others against unfaaair accusations. I don't see it protecting good guys or bad guys. What's importaaant is that we treat everyone fairly."_

 _His son frowned up at him at the answer, not being able to understand it in his young age. Hornsby smiled again as he knelt down so they were on eye level. Reaching a hoof up, he pointed at his son's chest as he spoke again._

" _Don't look at anyone as 'good' or 'bad'. That's judging them before you know them. Anyone has the capacity to do good or baaad, and if they do, they'll become responsible for it sooner or later. Just remember...saaay what we will, do what we will, we're all the saaame at our core."_

Hornsby smiled at the memory as he remembered his wife and son's smiling faces before they had been taken away from him.

"That's right." Hornsby said to himself quietly as he reached into the breast of his suit again and pulled something out. It was another remote like the one Nick had taken. But this one wasn't connected to any explosives outside. In fact, there hadn't been any placed outside in the first place. The detonator Nick had currently wouldn't set off anything. Though he hadn't been bluffing completely when he had said there were explosives.

"One must taaake responsibility for their actions. Thaaat's what sets us apart from mindless animals." Hornsby was still smiling as he spoke. He noticed for the first time in a long time the scars on his chest didn't ache. Closing his eyes he took another deep breath as he sat back, remembering his family once more. For the first time since ten years ago, the elk was at peace.

And then he pressed the button.

* * *

"You alright, Judy?" Down below, Nick let go of Judy as she finally seemed to start getting feeling back into her body. She took a couple of seconds to steady herself but was able to stand on her own two feet. Nick smirked a bit as it reminded him of the time she was drunk, but his expression sobered up quickly as she turned her purple eyes to him.

"We need to get everyone away from the stage." Judy said urgently. If there were explosives planted they couldn't risk them going off no matter what. She wasn't convinced that Hornsby would just walk away from whatever he had planned after all that. Nick nodded in agreement. The rally was nearing its end but they still needed to inform the officers on duty about what happened.

Just as they were stepping away from the building a sudden rumbled caused them to stumble. There was the sound of glass shattering followed by a wave of heat that seemed to radiate out over the central. Judy and Nick instantly looked up to the building they were just in, their eyes going to the window of the room where Hornsby had stayed behind.

"No…" Judy said in a small voice as they saw that was where the explosion had come from. Nick also flinched as he realized what happened. It looked like Hornsby had picked a different way out after all. Those in the central looked up in the direction of explosion, confusion on their faces as they tried to process what was going on. Judy's heart sank. Even after all Hornsby did, she didn't want to believe he would be so driven to end it like this. Her ears drooped dejectedly. She hadn't been able to prevent anything…

"Judy." Nick spoke her name as he placed a paw on her shoulder. She looked up to her friend who gave her a small smile of reassurance. She tried to return it but still felt a pit in her stomach even as the officers on duty finally moved into action around them. Silently the two continued to stare up at the window of the building which had smoke pouring out of it, the noise in the background nothing more than a faint buzz.

* * *

Judy rubbed her eyes tiredly as she stepped out of the interview room. She had been in there for several hours answering questions about Hornsby and what had happened during the rally. Since she and Nick were the last two to talk to him before his death they were the only ones that could testify as to what went on. Though as protocol demanded they were interviewed separately to make sure they couldn't collaborate their stories. It wasn't as if either of them had any reason to lie, but rules were rules. She had recounted what had gone on piece by piece to the officer interviewing her. She was sure her story would match up with Nick's for the most part, so she didn't have anything to worry about there. She had been dismissed a few minutes ago and now the fatigue from the events of that night were catching up to her. It felt surreal looking back at it, but all that had definitely happened.

Hornsby had killed himself.

"Hey."

Judy looked down the hallway to see Nick walking towards her. He must have just gotten finished being interviewed too, as she recognized the tired look in his eyes. She nodded to her friend in greeting but couldn't muster up the energy to smile. It was obvious the whole thing was still bothering her. Nick saw the look on her face as he got closer to her, sympathy in his eyes. Neither of them had any love for the elk, but they certainly hadn't wanted something like this to happen. Nick let out a small sigh as he scratched his ear, looking up to the ceiling as he spoke.

"We should probably get going. They said they'd call us in for more questioning if they needed to. I doubt we have much to worry about though. They'll most likely rule it as a suicide." Nick spoke a bit bluntly, causing Judy to flinch. The two began to walk down the halls of the station quietly.

"How could he do that?" Judy finally asked once they were outside. Hornsby had said he wanted to change the city, but did he really have to die to do so? He had even told her that if you die you can't change anything, so why? Nick shrugged his shoulders in response. It wasn't a dismissive action, however. He couldn't come up with a satisfying answer either.

"Who knows? Maybe he realized a long time ago what he was doing wasn't the right thing but just couldn't let go of his prejudice so easily. Perhaps dying was the only way he could give up on his views. I just can't imagine why he'd make such a big show of baiting the two of us." Nick tried to make sense of Hornsby's last actions. They had found out later that there were no bombs in the central and the detonator he had given them was a dud. So what was the reason for trying to force Nick to choose anyway? Judy looked up at her friend. She hadn't been able to talk back there due to the tranquilizer, but she had been conscious and aware of what was going on the whole time. She remembered Hornsby's words when he had talked to her before Nick arrived.

"I think," Judy began, recalling when Nick refused to go along with either choice. "Hornsby needed to see there were still things worth believing in, even if it went against everything he had fought for. Seeing someone who wasn't willing to turn their back just to save themselves must have touched him." Judy spoke with some sympathy for the elk. What if she had given up after having her ideals shattered? She couldn't exactly put herself in Hornsby's place, but the feeling of having your dreams and beliefs crushed was a heavy one. She could have wallowed around back on the farm forever, but she had been able to pull through. Not just because of her own strength, but because there had been someone there for her as well.

"You meant what you said back there, didn't you, Nick? About not leaving me behind?" Judy asked suddenly. The question made Nick stiffen up in embarrassment. He looked away sheepishly but answered anyway.

"Well, yeah. You're the first real friend I've had in years. If I lost you now I don't know what I would do. You mean more to me than anyone else." He still didn't look at her as he finished, but by the way his tail was twitching back and forth it was clear he was embarrassed even though his words were genuine. Judy could feel her own cheeks flushing beneath her fur. She knew Nick didn't mean what he said in a romantic way, but his heart and true feelings were still in the statement. For the first time since everything had happened that night, she let a smile light up her face.

"Thanks, Nick."

"Don't mention it, Carrots. You owe me for three things now, by the way."

Judy rolled her eyes as her friend winked at her. She punched him on the arm causing him to wince slightly, but he was still smiling. The two began to walk down the street together. The questioning after the rally had lasted for hours and it was well past midnight, though neither of them really felt sleepy for some odd reason.

"So...what were you planning to do if he had decided to shoot me again? You did have a plan, right?" Judy asked suddenly, wondering what Nick's plan had been back there. After all, there was no way he could have possibly known Hornsby wouldn't actually shoot for not cooperating. So surely Nick had to have been planning something, right? Nick averted his eyes again as he answered.

"Well, y'know. I would have...done something…" Nick trailed off lamely, causing Judy's ears to stand up in indignation and anger. Had he seriously just gambled with her life back there!?

"Nick!" Judy huffed as she put her paws on her hips, prepared to lay into her friend. Before she could, however, Nick turned to face, holding up his paws disarmingly.

"Never mind that!" He said hurriedly, not wanting to give her a chance to get started. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you." He continued. Judy raised a brow as she looked at him, not ready to fully forgive him just yet. But she supposed she'd hear him out. She tapped her foot impatiently as Nick seemed to hesitate for a bit. Finally the fox looked at her and started speaking again.

"After seeing your apartment it made me think about something. It would probably work out the best for the both of us, and we could save a lot of money." Nick started to explain. Judy tilted her head, not seeing where he was going. What did her apartment have to do with anything?

"Nick, what are you talking about?" Judy asked upfront. Nick returned her impatient gaze with a slightly unsure one, but after taking a breath he seemed to steel himself. Figuring it was just best to spit it out, he spoke.

"Wanna' move in together?"

* * *

 **Epilogue**

In the following few days, the news of Hornsby's death spread throughout the city. As Nick suspected, it had officially been ruled as a suicide, though no one could come up for any reason why. PAPA was understandably shocked the most, and it hadn't ended with just that. The group was convinced that the truth of Hornsby's death was a cover-up perpetrated by a predator. Even with their leader gone, they hadn't stopped in their views and beliefs. A full-scale investigation had been launched into the matter but had so far turned up little to no results. Hornsby apparently didn't confide in anyone, not even the other members of PAPA, so none of them had any idea why he would kill himself. Judy and Nick had been the last two to speak with him but there was no solid evidence to imply they had been responsible for his death. After sweeping the office where the explosion had taken place, they had managed to find the remains of the bomb planted in the room as well as the detonator used to set it off. Hornsby had to have been the only one capable of setting off the bomb since the detonator Nick had was a dud. Everything pointed to it being a suicide, but not everyone was believing that willingly.

" _This incident has made us realize the underlying tensions between prey and predator throughout the city. Even if Mr. Hornsby was responsible for his own death, we cannot turn a blind eye to the matter. Investigations are on-going, but we promise to find out if anything else was going on behind the scenes and will work our hardest to make Zootopia a place where everyone can feel safe."_

A representative for City Hall spoke during a press conference. Despite his extreme views, it seemed a lot of prey truly considered the elk to be a speaker for their safety. With his death it only increased support of his views, and there was even talk about his shock collar proposal being discussed seriously at the next City Hall meeting. It may have not been instant change, but in a way, Hornsby had set the gears in motion.

Outside of Hornsby's office, several police vans were parked on the street. Inside the office, CSI officers were busy going through the elk's files and belongings for any other evidence that may have hinted towards his intentions. So far they had found nothing though, not even where he had acquired the explosives from. It appeared to the very end Hornsby hadn't let anyone else in on anything, save for what he had told Judy and Nick.

"Hold it." A tiger near the door grunted as someone tried to make their way out of the room. It was a small figure wearing a CSI jacket and a hat pulled low over their eyes to obscure most of their face. They stopped at his feet, not looking up at him. The tiger eyed them suspiciously, noting the white tail sticking out from behind them and the white fur on their paws. "Where are you going with that?" The tiger asked gruffly noting several files in a plastic baggie the figure was carrying.

"Just bagging the evidence, sir." The figure answered with a tone of respect. From their voice it was clear it was a female. The tiger raised a brow as they looked up to him, finally allowing him to see their features for the first time. It was a female fox. She smiled at him kindly, not moving from the spot until she was cleared. The tiger's eyes went to the badge on her jacket identifying her.

"Officer Frost…" The tiger read the name on her badge. The fox gave him another smile while saluting with her free paw.

"At your service, sir!" She answered enthusiastically. Her cheerfulness was lost on the tiger, however, who was still eyeing her cautiously.

"I don't remember another fox being on the force. Let me see your badge again." The tiger said slowly. Despite Nick joining the ZPD, foxes in law enforcement were still quite rare. It wasn't like him joining had opened the floodgates for others to sign up. At his words, Officer Frost frowned.

"And I thought we were past all this...Are you saying the ZPD is only allowed to have one fox on the force at a time? I'm not sure, but isn't that discrimination?" Officer Frost asked with a smile as she adjusted her cap. The tiger looked uncomfortable at the word knowing how sensitive animals were about such things these days.. He looked around to make sure no one else had heard before looking back down at Frost and grunting.

"Go ahead." The tiger said in a low growl. Frost gave him another happy salute before quickly making her way out the door, tail swishing excitedly behind her.

Outside, Officer Frost was skipping almost happily. She made her way down the street but passed by both vans without getting into them. Instead she continued on her way until she came to an alley further down. Seated in a car that looked like it come right out of a history museum was a male cheetah. He wore a white pinstriped vest over a dark green dress shirt which fit his slim body perfectly. He lowered the newspaper he was reading as Frost jumped into the passenger seat.

"Find anything good?" The cheetah asked as he started up the car, the engine purring gently despite the age. Frost nodded as she shrugged off the jacket she had been wearing, revealing a black tank top underneath. She removed her hat as well, allowing her ears to spring up to attention.

"You bet!" She answered as the car started to pull out of the alley. Tossing her jacket in the backseat, "Officer Frost" waved the files she had acquired excitedly as the car made its way down the road.

* * *

Saint Ash's Sanctuary was an orphanage that existed without Zootopia. With a city as large as Zootopia, there was no shortage of those that had lost their homes and families due to tragedy or other reasons. It was a safe haven for those that had been left behind in the world until they could grow up and head out on their own. It was a respected and welcomed haven within the city. It kept orphans off the streets so the rest of the city could have peace of mind and feel less guilty about themselves.

Saint Ash's was a sanctuary in name only. Located on the outskirts of the Rainforest District, it was more of a large mansion rather than a religious organization. It was tucked away quietly in its own piece of land, purposely built away from the busier sections of the city almost like a secret garden. The large gates that surrounded the perimeter of the mansion's groups assured no one could get in without permission. It was a safe place completely detached from the rest of the city, where abandoned children could grow up without fear or neglect.

At the very top of the mansion, built on the roof, was a large greenhouse. It was a garden within the garden that even most of its inhabitants hadn't ever stepped foot into. The serene sound of classical music floated through the garden of the greenhouse. It was a familiar tune to the fox and cheetah as they stepped inside. Instantly they were greeted by the garden's welcoming heat and the fragrant smell of the various plants growing within. They stepped forward carefully as the fox called out.

"Master Ash? We've returned!" Her voice briefly rose above the music before being swept up in the melody. They didn't get a response right away, but they were used to that. They knew exactly where to find the master of the garden. Following a path, they quickly arrived at the center of the garden where its master was sitting peacefully.

A male eurasian lynx sat quietly in a chair at the center of an encirclement of flowers. A small table was set up next to him with a teapot and several cups placed on it. This was the time of day he always took his tea in the garden, a routine the two knew hadn't changed for years. He was quite old, but not to the point where he could be considered infirm or retired by any stretch. True, he may have been nearing his fifties, but his body still seemed to be in good shape. His black tipped ears twitched at the sound of the two approaching. Even though his eyes were closed he recognized the two instantly.

"Chiffon. Chester. Welcome back, my beloved children."

The lynx greeted the fox and cheetah in turn. With the help of a walking cane, he stood up from his chair to face them. A white robe hung loosely from the lynx's shoulder, the rest of his body being covered by a dark green shirt and black slacks. A metal brace was wrapped around his left foot, explaining why he needed the assistance of a cane to stand. The lynx's face was serene and wrinkled with the wisdom of one that had gone through a lot in life. Indeed it didn't look his life had been especially easy. Aside from the brace on his left foot, the lynx's right ear had a large chunk torn from it as if something had tried to rip it off. But despite his wounds he still glowed with a sense of serenity and accomplishment, exuding an aura that was meant to help others relax.

He was Master Ash, the owner of the orphanage.

"Now then, my children, beloved by all...What troubles you?" Master Ash asked kindly as he urged the two to come closer, ready to hear their woes.

* * *

Chiffon and Chester watched quietly as Master Ash covered his face with one paw and cried silently. Chiffon hated to see him react such a way, but couldn't help herself from speaking.

"You would shed tears over someone like that? He hated predators, you know." She said in regards to Hornsby. Upon hearing about his death, the Master had broken into tears. He often did so when confronted with the news of someone's death. He had told them before it was his way of showing compassion. But to cry over someone like that...she couldn't understand it. The Master wiped his eyes before answering, his voice full of regret and sympathy as he spoke of the late elk.

"As jaded and misguided as he may have been, I don't blame him," Ash said gently as he looked up. "I blame this world that betrayed his expectations and made him what he was." His words caused a dark look to cross both of their faces, as if they knew full well of what he was talking about. Ash wiped his eyes one last time before looking back to the two, his expression still somber as he spoke. "We shall let this serve as a reminder of the world we want to build. We must make sure no others are forced to be driven to the same extremes." The two nodded in agreement at his words. When he was finished, Chiffon stepped forward, holding out the papers she had retrieved from Hornsby's office while impersonating an officer.

"I found these in his office. Do you think they could be useful?" She asked as Ash looked over the papers. They were Hornsby's proposal for the predator shock collars. Even though it was a grim subject, Ash smiled gently before reaching out a paw and patting the white fox on the head.

"Thank you, Chiffon. I believe this will serve our cause wonderfully." His words caused her tail to flick back and forth as she beamed with pride at the praise. Setting the papers down on the table carefully, Ash turned around to look across the garden. Crouched down near one of the bed of flowers, a young, female bobcat wearing a white sundress had been attending to the plants. She had been there the entire time, but because of her silence and dedication to her work she had been easy to overlook for anyone not actively looking for her. Upon noticing Ash was watching her she looked up from her work and smiled at him warmly, which he returned with a fatherly nod.

"Now then…"

Chiffon and Chester watched as Ash slowly walked over to one of the glass walls of the greenhouse. Since it was on the roof he had a good view over the mansion's ground where the children were still playing outside innocently. Though they couldn't hear them, he spoke a promise that he had repeated many times over the years. An oath that he would make a reality.

"To everyone in this city, and my children beloved by all...I promise I will save every one of you."

 **Zootopia: At Our Core**

 **End**

* * *

 **A/N: And there you have it. The final chapter of At Our Core. This took longer to get up than I expected but hopefully it was worth the wait. I'm still trying to get my housing crisis settled and have been a little stressed out lately, but hopefully it didn't show too much in this chapter.**

 **Once again, a big shoutout to dogman15 for pre-reading and editing this chapter for me. He stayed up well past midnight to get it done so I could get this posted more quickly which I can't thank him for enough!**

 **I would also like to give a big thanks to all of you who have read this and left comments, reviews, and suggestions. To be honest I never expected this fic to get so popular. I've written stories in the past before that has gotten moderate receptions, but I never expected this to get so big. I know that I still have a lot to work on as a writer, so the fact that so many people were earnestly able to enjoy this story despite some of its shortcomings makes me extremely grateful. This was somewhat of an experimental fic that went through a couple of re-writes before I decided to go through with it. Seeing everyone enjoy it so much inspired me to keep going even with other things happening in my life. So once again, thank you to all my readers.**

 **Like many others, I fell in love with Zootopia after seeing it in theaters. This was a bit surprising considering I never really paid attention to it prior to release. I honestly just decided to see it on whim after leaving work one day and ended up going to the last showing of the evening. Had it not been the last showing, I probably would have stayed to sit through it another two or three times! The world is brilliantly crafted and you could tell just how much love and care the creators put into it. Every detail, down to the individual pieces of fur on each character's body, was breathtaking. The overall message of the movie is also something I think both children and adults could understand and appreciate, making us not only think about how we look at others, but how we judge ourselves as well. If you haven't seen the movie but are reading this story for some odd reason, I highly encourage you to go check it out!**

 **There have been some questions I've gotten over the course of updating, and I'll try to answer them all below!**

 **Some people have brought to attention my usage of "paws" and "hooves" instead of just saying hands. And indeed, after seeing the movie again, I realized that the characters themselves actually do make reference to hands when referring to their appendages. I chose to continue using paws/hooves out of personal preference. Whenever I typed "hands" I would just get the mental image of these animal characters having human hands which sounded silly to me. This is something that I may change in the future, but I wanted to keep it consistent for the rest of this stories so I chose to keep using paws in place of hands.**

 **Another thing that was brought to my attention was the timeline of the story, specifically about Nick's time at the academy. The story is said to take place three months after the Night Howler incident, but that would be an incredibly short amount of time for Nick to finish his training and graduate. I'll admit this was an oversight on my part. The timeline is supposed to take place three months after Nick's graduation from the academy. According to Rich Moore, nine months have passed between Bellwether's arrest and Nick's graduation. So this story would have to take place a full year after the Night Howler incident to make sense in the timeline. To keep with the canon, this officially takes place a year after the events of the movie. This doesn't really change anything I originally had planned, however. I did want to set the timeline straight though if anyone was confused.**

 **I've been asked if this is my first story. The answer is no. I've written other stories before but it has been years since I worked on something serious. My old stories are probably archived somewhere under a different account, but I don't really care enough to look for them. I don't think my overall writing style has changed that much over time, but any old stories I have probably didn't have as much time put into them as this. I've written for a couple of other fandoms and have even done some original works. At the moment I'm only interested in writing for Zootopia, so it's doubtful you'll see a story for another series from me anytime soon.**

 **My favorite character from the movie is Judy! Her can-do attitude and determination is something I find really admirable, and she's just too adorable. My biggest fear with this story was portraying her as too serious. I wanted to show more of her spunky side and that endearing optimism of hers, as well as her conviction to never back down from her beliefs. I tried to show this through her interactions with Hornsby. Both of them had their expectations and beliefs shattered at one point, but the difference between the two is Hornsby never recovered. In Judy's case, she was willing to keep going even when things seemed the darkest, and in the end she still wanted to believe Hornsby could be saved too. It didn't work out how she wanted, but she's still not going to let that get to her. I plan to try and show a bit more of that playfulness she had in the movie in later stories, especially in regards to her relationship with Nick. I don't think there's anything that can hold this little bunny down, no matter what life throws at her!**

 **Speaking of which, I've been asked if I'm planning to have Judy and Nick end up together. The answer to that is...keep reading! I think the friendship between the two of them is absolutely beautiful. The fact that they can remain so comfortable around each other and trust each other completely is something I really wanted to show. Even if they aren't romantically involved at the moment, they care for each other deeply, and what they have going on possibly transcends the label of being lovers or anything like that. That said, I do think they're really cute together and can see why so many people want them to become a couple!**

 **Hornsby was a character that got a surprising reception. I wanted to set him up to be unlikable, but at the same time wanted to show that he wasn't born the way he was. Sometimes it can only take one thing to have someone change their entire viewpoint and lose their optimism. Hornsby never ended up recovering. He went from hopeful and idealistic to jaded and bitter after he lost his family. It became even worse when his belief in justice was furthered shattered and he lost all hope. In his mind he felt people would always look the opposite way in order to keep living their fantasy of everything being perfect. That's why he needed to take such measures to get people to pay attention, and was willing to even hurt those on his side for the greater cause. But deep down, I feel he never really let go of his idealistic self from the past and wanted desperately to believe in someone. Meeting Judy and Nick and seeing how much they cared for each other probably reminded him of how he used to be and what he had become, but he felt he was in too deep to just throw everything away after so long. I don't think he would have ever trusted predators again even after that, so to him, what he did was the only way to leave his hate behind. I wanted to show him interacting with the two more, but he's not exactly someone that's easy to be around!**

 **A fun fact about Hornsby: Originally, when I first typing things up, I had him as an anteater and not an elk. The mental image of an anteater in a suit was incredibly funny to me though, so I decided to switch him to something more majestic looking, and thus he became an elk.**

 **And finally, if I could be any animal in the Zootopia world...I would be Gondola. That or a pangolin, so I could curl up into a ball when things start getting dangerous!**

 **For those wondering what's to come next, I've said it before but I have two following stories planned that will tie into At Our Core. I hope to accomplish several things with them, the biggest of which being to explore Nick's past some more. Everything introduced in At Our Core will tie into later stories at some point, so keep an eye to help make connections! My next story planned and the sequel to At Our Core is titled "Memories of Snow". I don't want to spoil much, but it will still follow Judy and Nick, and Chief Bogo is planned to play a big part in things as well. I also want to explore more things about the ZPD in general, and even have some big things planned for Clawhauser. The final story in the trilogy is titled "Hard Knock Days" which will bring things to a close. Though that's not to say it means the end of the adventurers of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde! I still have a lot of things planned even after this trilogy ends. I may even do some one-shots and drabbles between the major stories, so there's a lot to look forward to! I promise things will be fleshed out more in the following stories. Hard Knock Days on its own will probably be bigger than the first two put together. I have the draft and general outline for Memories of Snow in my head and in some notes, but I can't say when I'll be able to officially start working on it. Right now I'm still trying to get my living situation sorted out and find a new place to stay, which comes first above everything else. Hopefully it won't be more than two or three weeks from now before I can get the first chapter up.**

 **Once again, I want to thank all of you who have read this far. I treasure all the support, praise, advice, and criticism I've been given for this story, and it's not only helped me grow as a writer, but as a person as well. I want to thank the creators and writers of Zootopia for bringing such a wonderful movie into the world and eagerly await further adventures in the world of Zootopia.**

 **Until next time!**

 **~Granteed**


	9. Status Update

Hello! This is just a quick update to let everyone know what has been going on in the last month or so and why I haven't been active lately. Sorry if I got anyone's hopes up with this, but I figured it would be better to explain things here instead of responding to everyone individually.

First things first, I'm not dead! I've just been really busy this last month and haven't had time to work on things like I would have liked. Unfortunately my living situation hasn't gotten much better. While I have friends and family to stay with until I figure something out, I haven't found a long term place to stay yet. If anyone has ever stayed with friends and relatives after having your own place you probably know how hard it is to really relax in the house of someone else. When I had my own place I could sit around in my pajamas all day and do nothing but write if I felt like it, but that doing that in a house that isn't mine just makes me feel lazy and a burden. So it been a little hard to get into the mood to start writing as much as I would like this last month.

The biggest change that will be happening in the next few months is that I am going into the Air Force. This has always been a dream of mine and I'm at the point in my life where I feel I'm ready to take that next step. Before you panic, I won't actually be heading out until sometime in August. Maybe near the end of July depending on how things go. This still gives me about three months to finish things, which I plan to do. Even if I don't manage to get the remaining stories up in that time it's not like I'm going to vanish from the internet forever. Once I get out of Basic Training and get stationed on a base, I'll have internet access and free time between my assignments. Basic Training is 8 ½ weeks, however, so there will be a long stretch where I won't have access to the internet at all. I just ask as that you bear with me during that time in the unfortunate scenario that I don't finish everything as planned.

Now, on to the stories and future plans! Next on the list is _"Memories of Snow"_ , which is the sequel to _"At Our Core"_ and the second story in a planned trilogy. Taking place two months after AoC, Judy and Nick are faced with several new challenges. A new drug is being distributed in the shadows of the city and it's up to the ZPD to figure out who is responsible. Similar to the Night Howlers, this new drug heightens aggression in both predator and prey alike. Unlike the Night Howlers, however, those who use it are able to keep their sanity and control their more primal urges. The ZPD discovers that animals are willingly using this new drug to release their pent up aggression and urges in illegal fight clubs that have been popping up throughout the city. Things become personal when a ghost from Bogo's past is connected to the drugs, and the Chief of the ZPD must make a difficult decision; Will he be forced to break the laws he swore to uphold in order to make sure justice is actually served? Things take an unexpected turn as well when Zootopia's biggest pop star is seemingly targeted by a vicious killer. With all this going on, Judy and Nick must also juggle the difficulties that come with trying to get an apartment together, which isn't as easy as the two thought it would be.

Work on this story is about 40% done. I have the notes and everything planned out. I'm just working on getting the sequence of events into an order I'm satisfied with and finding time to sit down and type up the final draft. I'm aiming to release the first chapter within the next week or two and will try to have the entire thing finished by early June. The final version will most likely end up being twice as long as AoC, but this is to allow me to work on the pacing better and fit in more character development. The tone and subject matter of the story as once again quite serious, but I'm going to try and not make things too dreary. Bogo will play a chief role in the story, but Judy and Nick will have a lot of focus as well. Looking back at AoC and reading comments, one of the biggest things I noticed is that Judy and Nick didn't seem to have much of a presence in that story, which I want to avoid in further stories.

Following that will be the final story of the trilogy. It was previously titled _"Hard Knock Days"_ but I may change the title for the final draft as I feel it doesn't really capture the events that take place. I can't really talk much about it here as it would contain massive spoilers, but it does deal with Nick's past and what he was doing prior to meeting Judy. Everything that happens here will be an accumulation of stuff that was built up in the first two stories, and the scale of the story is meant to be much larger than the first two, with the ultimate goal of exploring a bit of the world outside of the locations shown in the film. Ironically I probably have this one more ready to go than MoS, but that's because the first two stories have been to build up this one as the climax, so I know exactly what needs to be done to get here. I hope to have it finished before I leave for the Air Force in August, but I can make no promises.

And lastly, I've been working on a story unrelated to the trilogy but something I've wanted to do. It's an AU with a supernatural twist that I've been tossing around the idea for for a while. Judy Hopps is a detective who has just moved to the town of Fangston. After experiencing success in the big city, she decided to move to the sleepy town following rumors of strange events around town as well as the mysterious disappearances of several animals, one of which being a well-known author from the city who moved to Fangston to do research for his next book. Shortly after moving into town, Judy discovers that things aren't what they seem and something strange and dangerous is indeed going on in town once night falls. While working to solve the strange happenings of Fangston, Judy comes across an enigmatic and charismatic fox known as Nick Wilde. Like everything else in town, Judy quickly comes to find that Nick isn't exactly what he appears to be at first. Yet if she wishes to survive, she finds herself with no choice but to rely on the mysterious fox, who introduces himself as a creature that feeds on "lies"...

This story is just an idea I had and isn't a huge priority at the moment. It takes inspiration from Sherlock Holmes and Sleepy Hollow to kind of give you more of an idea of it. It's something I would like to work on , but I don't expect to seriously devote time to it until after I finish the other stories.

Again I just wanted to give you guys a heads-up about what's going on with me and why there haven't been any updates yet. I hope to start writing again soon once I get done taking care of some business. But for now I can only ask you to hang on tight for a bit more and wish me the best! Take care!

~Granteed


End file.
